Middle East Press on: Israel, Assad, Intifada, Erdogan, Genocide, UNRWA, Palestine: New Age Islam's Selection, 10 December 2024
By New Age Islam Edit Desk
11 December 2024
Israel Is Reshaping The Middle East As Assad Regime Crumbles
Breaking Free: Addressing Israel’s Monopolistic Air Travel Challenges
Gen Z And The Intifada: Social Media’s Role In Shaping Anti-Israel Narratives
Could Erdogan Leverage Syria’s Rebel Victory To Threaten Israel?
Hezbollah Weakened: Ripple Effects Reshape Middle East Geopolitics
Liberating Syria Forever
'War Does Not Discriminate Between Black And White': Afro-Palestinian Family Trapped In Israel's Gaza Genocide
Israel Occupies Buffer Zone In Syria’s Golan Heights
UNRWA, Palestinian Children And The Two-State Diplomacy That Works Against Children’s Rights
The Road For Palestine Liberation Can Only Go Through Palestine Itself
Who Will Rule Syria?
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Israel Is Reshaping The Middle East As Assad Regime Crumbles
By Zina Rakhamilova
December 11, 2024
Many of us are watching what is happening in Syria with mixed emotions, unsure of how this will play out and what it means for Israel. Former Syrian president Bashar Assad who, following in the footsteps of his father, Hafez Assad, ruled Syria with an iron fist.
Since its founding in 1946, Syria has been a complete mess. It is a country created by Western powers as part of the Sykes-Picot Agreement that failed to take into account the number of different religious minorities and ethnic groups in the territory, including Sunnis, Shi’ites, Kurds, Assyrians, Druze, Christians, Armenians, and many others.
The civil war in Syria, which began in 2011 against Assad’s regime, has raged for over 13 years, leaving 300,000 dead and more than 12 million refugees. Finally, the regime has been toppled.
On one hand, watching the fall of Assad feels like sweet justice, as both he and his backers in the Islamic regime have once again been humiliated and defeated. He was one of the most savage dictators, a mere puppet of Russia and the regime in Tehran, who slaughtered Syrian children with chemical weapons.
Now that Assad has been defeated, the threat posed by the Islamic Republic and Hezbollah against Israel has diminished, as Syria served as a land bridge for weapon transfers to Hezbollah. The world is undoubtedly a better place now that Assad has lost power and is hiding in Russia.
Israeli security
On the other hand, no one fully understands what this could mean for Israel’s security until the dust settles. The rebel groups are primarily led by an Islamist faction called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (THS), initially an offshoot of al-Qaeda.
Immediately after Assad fled, Israeli reporters stated that the Israel Defense Forces began strikes on chemical facilities to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.
Only when the dust settles will we know what this might lead to.
However, one thing is certain: In the last year, Israel has done more for stability in the Middle East than decades of ineffective UN agencies and Western diplomats.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a barbaric assault on Israeli soil, believing it could achieve a decisive victory with the ideological and financial backing of Tehran and its proxies. The operation aimed to massacre and kidnap as many civilians as possible, hoping to galvanize the regime and its proxies.
Instead, it triggered a chain reaction that forced Israel to reshape the Middle East and marked the beginning of efforts to confront extremist regimes and organizations in the region.
In the last year, Israel has reduced Hamas and Hezbollah to a pile of rubble and assassinated top leaders such as Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, Hassan Nasrallah, and Fuad Shukr. These figures were on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list, and many thought it would be impossible to eliminate them.
Iran, the mastermind behind these terror networks, already weakened and cornered, has now lost its primary access to Hezbollah. With Hamas, Hezbollah, and Assad gone, the radical Shi’ite regime is in deep trouble.
It would be inaccurate to say that the toppling of the Assad regime by radical Islamist groups in Syria is a better outcome for Israel. However, for decades, the Islamic regime has financed and built up terror organizations under the assumption that they could carry out atrocities without facing consequences. Israel has shattered that illusion and demonstrated that the regime cannot act with impunity, as seen with the events of October 7.
Now is the time to support the people of Iran and the minorities in Syria. The global community must stand united to ensure that this reckoning becomes a turning point – one that ends the cycle of terror and paves the way for a future of security and peace.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-832892
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Breaking Free: Addressing Israel’s Monopolistic Air Travel Challenges
By Sherwin Pomerantz
December 11, 2024
When I made aliyah 41 years ago, I worried a lot about not being able to leave Israel in case there was a really serious war, and I felt that my life was seriously threatened.
Over the years, that fear was neutralized so that today, I would not think of leaving even if I did feel so threatened. After all, this is my home.
But I was never concerned about not being able to leave to celebrate a family event in America or anywhere else, or to simply go abroad for a vacation when I would choose to do so.
Yet today, in the midst of a war of attrition, with only one airline flying regularly in and out of Israel – thereby limiting the number of available seats and discouraged by the resultant inflated fares – sometimes I actually do feel like a prisoner in my own country, unable to find a seat or to afford the price of a ticket even when I can book a seat.
None of us should find ourselves in this position, and, if we analyze why this is the case, I believe there are solutions to address the challenges. I also believe that the Israeli government has an obligation to us, its citizens, to work on addressing this issue, which has reduced tourism to a trickle and is causing economic harm to the country.
Weighing the risks
Foreign airlines that have eliminated their flights to Israel usually couch their objections on two issues. First, that the cost of insurance related to flying into and out of a war zone is prohibitive and cannot easily be absorbed into the cost of a ticket.
Secondly, that crews do not feel safe staying overnight in Tel Aviv and going through potential air raids during their stay. Both reasons have merit and both can be addressed.
On the issue of insurance, Israel should look at the loss of income due to the drop in tourism and business travel and weigh that against the cost of subsidizing the increased costs to airlines to insure their flights against wartime risk.
A CNN report on October 4 indicated that “Tourism has also taken a knock, with arrivals down sharply this year. Israel’s tourism ministry has estimated that the drop in foreign tourists has translated into NIS 18.7 billion ($4.9 b.) in lost revenue since the start of the war.”
Whether that number is higher or lower than the actual does not really matter. Speak with hotel operators, restaurateurs, tour guides, and business people; every one of them will agree that it is very difficult right now to convince people to come here except for solidarity visits and some family events for those for whom price is no object.
Given that, Israel should look seriously at either paying the air carrier’s increased insurance costs or “self-insuring” them against potential loss due to the war.
REGARDING STAYING overnight, we and the airlines also know how to solve that problem. Airline schedules can be adjusted so that flights land here in the morning and leave again before the end of the same day.
For short-haul flights from Europe, for example, that would eliminate the overnight stay for the crew. They could simply do the turnaround flight as well.
For long-haul flights, while laws limit the number of hours a crew may be in the air and how much rest they need before they can fly again, there is no restriction as to where that rest has to occur. So, for example, airlines could, in cooperation with the Jordanian government, rest their crews on the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea as opposed to Tel Aviv.
Or a local charter airline could ferry crews two-to-three times a day between Tel Aviv and Larnaca, Cyprus so that the crews could rest there before beginning the return trips later in the week. No doubt the hotel operators in both locations would be happy to get the extra business, and the Israeli government could subsidize the additional cost once again.
The benefit of all of this would be to open up more seats to both tourists and locals while simultaneously bringing down the airfares to competitive levels similar to what they were before the war.
We who live here and are committed to the long-term survival of our beloved country are making enough of a sacrifice sending our sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, and siblings off to war and dealing with the psychological and physical effects of doing so.
We should also not be kept prisoners in our own country because of the monopolistic pricing policies of the only airline that is providing dependable service, especially when there are solutions to the problem that make good financial and practical sense.
All of us living here have committed ourselves to the long-term survival of the country. The government in power, therefore, has an obligation to do what it can to neutralize any obstacles to the normal flow of our day-to-day lives.
They owe us nothing less than to at least make the attempt.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-832886
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Gen Z And The Intifada: Social Media’s Role In Shaping Anti-Israel Narratives
By Molly Seghi
December 11, 2024
The confluence of online misinformation, pro-Palestinian groupthink activism, and protesting methods is igniting hatred against Israel and Jews.
Pro-Palestinian protests have reoccupied college campuses across the US, again capturing headlines. Saturated with calls to “Globalize the Intifada” and “End the occupation,” these demonstrations have become common in major American universities and cities. The movement uses social media to amplify its messages and extend its reach to Gen Z students, and it is having a considerable effect on the campus climate.
Consider that #FreePalestine is used in 35 million videos on TikTok and 11.1 million posts on Instagram, about 28 times more than #StandwithIsrael. Compared to previous generations, adults ages 18-29 are more likely to say their sympathies lie either entirely or mostly with the Palestinian people, and they have a more favorable opinion of them than of Israel.
Younger adults appear to be sympathizing with Palestinians over Israelis. They are more critical of Israel’s reasons for fighting and less critical of Hamas, as compared to older adults.
At the heart of this shift is the younger generation’s reliance on social media for news, with 78% of adults ages 18-29 surveyed indicating that, at least sometimes, they get their news from social media – almost double the rate for traditional media. About six out of 10 teens (63%) and six out of 10 (62%) US adults under 30 use TikTok, while around four out of 10 say they regularly get their news there, double the percentages from 2020.
Algorithm generated obsession
Although some Internet platforms are notorious for enabling the rampant spread of misinformation, young adults are nearly as likely to trust social media as national media outlets.
AS DANGEROUS as the lack of credible sourcing and misinformation online is, AI-generated bots and algorithms deepen Gen Z’s infatuation with “freeing Palestine.” Designed to echo shallow social justice, some social media algorithms maintain the propaganda cycle, while some chatbots do it inadvertently. The lines between virtual indoctrination and physical action blur as online rhetoric translates more seamlessly into real behavior.
The talking points from the Internet then become parroted as catchy slogans and rhyming chants in real life. Crowds grow, and a protesting mob mimics online communities, exacerbating groupthink activism, with a keffiyeh-masked leader shouting slogans from a megaphone for the echoed response from the crowd.
The hate speech of anti-Israel protests has instigated antisemitic incidents and increased the number of places where Jews feel unsafe since October 7, 2023. In addition to spewing genocidal chants urging for the destruction of Israel and those who inhabit it, protesters employ bullying tactics. Many students who support these protests also support illiberal protest strategies such as encampments, occupying buildings, and blocking students from moving freely on campus.
College campuses are filled with slogans and displays calling for an “Intifada revolution,” “Right to resist,” and “From the river to the sea” – all calls for violence against Israel and Israelis, veiled as cries of Palestinian support.
Pro-Palestinian groups have even doxxed the University of Florida’s Hillel staff on social media, publishing photos and information about how to reach them, while comments on the post applaud these protest efforts. They have utilized their social media platforms to organize protests against multiple Zionist guest speakers who have been visiting the university, and even dedicated a post to labeling one “a war criminal.”
The hypocrisy of advocating against violence, yet perpetuating it, is persistent in campus movements. The percentage of students who said that they support pro-Palestinian protesters engaging in violent actions was similar to the percentage of those who said they were opposed to using violence to stop a campus speech.
The anti-Zionist selective vision is pervasive among Gen Zers. Although hate incidents and crimes have spiked against Jews and Muslims, younger Americans are more likely to point to intensified Islamophobia than the escalated antisemitism that older adults are likely to see.
HATRED IS and avoidable behaviour are learned, but so are empathy and understanding. While violence may have permeated the media we engage with, or the chants we hear on our commute to class, it can be countered by reaffirming the values of respect and democratic discourse.
Accountability, both personal and collective, is key to fostering an environment of progress, combating misinformation, and preventing toxic influences from spreading.
We cannot afford to take at face value what we see on social media, painted on a sign, or shouted from a campus quad. Instead, we must better inform ourselves by looking beyond captions and infographics.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-832884
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Could Erdogan Leverage Syria’s Rebel Victory To Threaten Israel?
By Noa Lazimi
December 11, 2024
In light of the rebels’ success and the fall of Assad’s regime, is Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan poised to make good on his threat to invade Israel?
Since October 7, Turkey has hardened its stance toward Israel, including severing trade relations with Israel in solidarity with Hamas. In July, Erdogan escalated further, threatening, “Just as we entered Nagorno-Karabakh and Libya, we will do the same to Israel.”
What initially seemed like an empty threat is now becoming a more plausible scenario following the rebels’ astonishing victory in Syria, where many factions supported by Ankara toppled the Assad regime in just 11 days.
Turkey’s role in these developments is significant, though attributing the coup solely to Ankara would be premature. While Turkey trains and arms some rebel groups, it remains unclear if it directly commands Tahrir al-Sham, the organization spearheading the surprise attack. It is also doubtful that Erdogan himself anticipated such swift and decisive rebel gains.
Surely, Erdogan stands to benefit greatly from dismantling a Shiite regime supported by Iran, Russia, and Hezbollah and replacing it with a Sunni-led government. His key interests in Syria include weakening Kurdish autonomy and facilitating the return of millions of Syrian refugees who have fled to Turkey since the civil war.
The rebels’ victory can help Ankara achieve its goals on both fronts.
Erdogan to exacerbate the situation?
However, this achievement does not shield Turkey from the potential spillover of war into its own territory. The rebel factions are a fragmented mixture of militias, often in conflict with one another. Erdogan likely understands that the path to a pro-Turkish government in Syria is fraught with challenges and could take years, if it materializes at all.
Meanwhile, the extensive operational freedom granted to rebel groups could backfire, entangling Turkey in Syria’s internal strife. It may also reignite tensions at home should the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) launch retaliatory attacks against Turkish forces targeting Kurds in Syria.
And what of Israel? Could Erdogan leverage a friendly regime in Syria to position troops and weaponry on Israel’s border? Turkey’s growing influence in Syria aligns with Erdogan’s neo-Ottoman vision for the Middle East, as part of which Syria could transform into a Sunni Islamist stronghold under Ankara’s auspices.
This would intensify Turkey’s adversarial stance toward Israel, particularly as there is no end to the “Swords of Iron” war in sight.
Thus, it is plausible that Erdogan either directly orders jihadist groups operating on the Israeli border to attack Israel or, at the very least, supports them in doing so.
That said, Turkey must weigh the consequences of opening such a front against Israel. Any escalation would risk straining its relationships with the United States and NATO, especially under a new US administration unlikely to tolerate such aggression.
Considering these dynamics, Erdogan would be well advised to play his cards cautiously and avoid exacerbating the Syrian conflict, particularly with regard to Israel.
Regardless of Erdogan’s calculations, Israel was wise to mobilize tanks and infantry across the border for the first time in 50 years. Israel must continue leveraging this momentum to strike targets in Syria to diminish Iran’s and Hezbollah’s capabilities.
Moreover, it is crucial for Israel to insist on a robust and expanded American military presence in the Syria-Iraq-Jordan triangle.
This strategy will not only curb the influence of pro-Turkish Islamists but also preempt other hostile forces from gaining a foothold in neighboring Jordan—a country already under threat from Iran’s ambitions to destabilize its regime and launch attacks on Israel from the east.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-832883
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Hezbollah Weakened: Ripple Effects Reshape Middle East Geopolitics
By Loqman Radpey
DECEMBER 11, 2024
Imagine tossing a pebble into a pond, and then watching as the ripples spread outward, their effects radiating through the still water far beyond where the stone initially splashed.
This describes the profound consequences of Israel’s military actions against Hezbollah, which have weakened the group’s military power and created a cascade of shifting dynamics in the Middle East.
The most immediate result of Hezbollah’s diminished strength is the opening it has created for other extremist groups to regain ground. Remnants of ISIS, al-Qaeda, and Turkish-backed factions – most notably the terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its ally, the so-called Syrian National Army (SNA), bearing the ISIS flag on their uniforms in Syria – seized the opportunity to advance further toward Damascus.
Now, the survival of two Kurdish-majority districts, Ashrafiye and Sheikh Maqsood, in Aleppo is at stake. These neighborhoods, controlled by the Kurdish Yekîneyên Parastina Gel (YPG) and Yekîneyên Parastina Jin (YPJ), have now become refuges for many Arabs displaced by the HTS offensive.
These two districts have already been hosting refugees who fled Turkey’s occupation of the city of Afrin in 2018. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have sent reinforcements to these districts to defend the people there. The fall of Damascus will have ramifications far beyond the city’s walls, as it would represent a significant blow to Kurdish autonomy and stability.
International volatility
Adding complexity to this volatile situation is Russia’s ongoing preoccupation with Ukraine. As Moscow focused its attention on the European front, it showed minimal interest in curbing Turkey’s growing influence in Syria, particularly its support for HTS. This hands-off approach from Russia, a key player in Syria’s conflict, has left a power vacuum that further destabilizes the region.
In this context, Israel’s 60-day ceasefire with Hezbollah has proved consequential. While the truce is brief, the blows to this Iranian proxy force have altered the military calculus in Syria. Hezbollah, once a critical supporter of Bashar Assad’s regime, was less able to provide that backing, emboldening opposition groups and shifting the balance of power toward the rebels and extremists.
WITH TURKEY’S military operations intensifying, there is growing concern over the future of Kurdish-held territories. With the fall of the Assad regime, the focus will likely shift to Kobani, a symbol of Kurdish resilience facing ISIS. Historically, Turkey has sought to expand its influence in Kobani, a city previously under siege by ISIS for 134 days before Kurdish forces, with US support, broke the blockade.
Now, Turkey’s military operations against Kurdish territories are gaining momentum once again, especially in Manbij, and are likely to intensify in anticipation of potential political changes in the US – with Donald Trump’s looming return to the presidency. Trump’s previous support for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his green light for Turkey to occupy portions of Rojava add yet another layer of unpredictability to the situation.
Turkey’s increasing footprint in Syria signals an assertion of its strategic priorities.
This is a new phase since its failure to implement successful policies in Syria from the start of the civil war in 2011 may be evolving.
The new Turkish offensives could position Ankara as a more dominant player in Syria, potentially strengthening its hand in negotiations and regional influence. But this expansion comes at the expense of the Kurds, whose autonomous region of Rojava has been a beacon of hope and stability in a region torn by war and violence.
For the Kurds, any further erosion of their territorial integrity and political autonomy would weaken their position in the broader Middle East, likely setting back their aspirations for self-determination. Moreover, the growing Turkish military presence could fracture the relationship between Rojava and the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq, threatening the fragile unity that has existed between the two Kurdish entities.
ISRAEL TOO, will not remain unaffected by these shifting dynamics. The diminished military power of Hezbollah may have immediate benefits for Israel in terms of reducing the threat from Hezbollah’s military capabilities.
However, this change could lead to a more significant challenge. As Sunni extremist groups, bolstered by funding from Turkey and Qatar, come together, they may form a stronger, more coordinated alliance that poses a more formidable threat to Israel than the fragmented Shi’ite-based opposition it has faced until now.
If Turkey’s offensive is successful, it could infuse a new wave of energy into the extremist movements, further destabilizing the region and drawing more attention away from the previous focus on Shi’ite militias and Iran.
The broader geopolitical implications are clear. The shifting balance of power in Syria could lead to new alignments and rivalries. With its proxies crushed across Lebanon, Gaza, Syria, and Iraq, Iran’s influence has faltered.
However, Turkey’s abrupt moves could extend the region’s focus to new fronts. This could complicate US and Israeli efforts to maintain stability and security in the Middle East, particularly as Sunni extremist factions may now unite under the auspices of Turkish and Qatari influence.
In such a volatile environment, the US and Israel must stay vigilant and capable of reassessing regional strategy in the face of these shifting tides. The ripple effect brings unintended consequences, opening new fronts that could present new challenges with broader implications for Western interests. This resurgence, ISIS 2.0, threatens to exploit the power vacuum left behind, amplifying instability and escalating violence.
The stakes are high, and the actions of key players in the Middle East will shape the trajectory of future conflicts and alliances, with profound implications for the West. Amid these shifting dynamics, the Kurds are there with significant potential, extending into Iraq; they are not just a local force but a reliable, battle-tested partner in building a truly secure region.
Their unwavering dedication, proven resilience, and expertise in managing security challenges, coupled with their leadership in addressing regional crises, reaffirm their indispensable role in the pursuit of lasting peace and stability across the region.
The Middle East remains as unpredictable as ever, and the ripples caused by Israel’s actions against Hezbollah may just be the beginning of a much larger and more complex shift in the region’s power dynamics. The ripples following Biden’s brokered truce should not be celebrated as it could grow into a tidal wave.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-832881
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Liberating Syria Forever
By Muhammad Jamil
December 10, 2024
After more than fifty years of tyranny, oppression and injustice, the Assad regime had a resounding fall, thanks to the sacrifices of the great Syrian people who struggled, suffered and sacrificed everything on the altar of freedom, especially over the last thirteen years.
When the Syrian people peacefully declared their desire for change – like the rest of the Arab peoples in the Arab Spring revolutions – all the enemies ganged up on them and criminal forces rushed to support the regime which committed massacres, destroyed cities and displaced the people from their lands, until people believed that the will of the Syrians had been broken, and the revolution had been aborted.
However, the Spring did not fail them, and it was followed by a stormy winter and great goodness, so that, when the zero-hour struck, the Syrian people gathered their power again and liberated cities one after the other, crowning this liberation by entering Damascus, from which the tyrant of Damascus fled in humiliation, laden with unforgettable and unforgivable crimes.
The resounding and rapid collapse of this regime stunned the world. The tyrants of the region and those aspiring to seize the country’s wealth have tried, for years, to support and maintain this regime, ignoring the victims who have been killed, the missing persons and millions of displaced persons. The Syrian regime’s membership in the Arab League was restored, and the United States of America began to think of lifting sanctions imposed on it, but the Syrian people had a different say, and they raised the flag of the Syrian revolution in the stronghold of the most powerful supporters of this regime in Moscow, while Iran and its sectarian militias retreated and became helpless and unable to save this regime.
The crimes of the regime that we have witnessed throughout the years of killing and destruction are not the whole story, but only part of it. After the fall of the regime, the “greatest secrets” began to uncover to the public, bit by bit, including the graves of the living, from which thousands emerged, some of whom were arrested in the last century, revealing horrific stories of torture, horrifying killing, acid rooms and special rooms containing execution guillotines and presses to grind the bodies of the dead and ovens to burn and dispose of them.
The world was also shocked and impressed by the state of tolerance enjoyed by the revolutionaries, who took no revenge on the puppets of the regime and those who defended its crimes in all forums and there was no chaos, looting or theft. This tolerance reached an unbelievable level, where the government of the toppled regime was tasked with running the state institutions until a framework was formed to manage the country’s affairs for a transitional period.
Nevertheless, the revolutionaries made it clear that this tolerance is not a blank check, as all those who were involved in shedding the blood of the Syrians and looted the country’s wealth will be pursued and held accountable according to the law and in public trials, since there are crimes that cannot be overlooked, and as justice and redress must be made to all victims, and anyone with a right must get his right back.
Hard work and steady and confident steps are underway to build a new state based on the foundations of justice, equality and human dignity, with the participation of all the Syrian people, regardless of their different opinion, affiliation or sect. This is a stage that requires the unification of all efforts to thwart the opportunity for the greedy ones and those betting on the division of the Syrian people.
A lot of work awaits the Syrian people who have just embraced freedom on all internal and external levels; most importantly, the formation of various committees to document the crimes committed over the decades, committees to search for missing persons, committees to inventory the looted funds and pursue the looters, reconstruction committees and other committees. At this sensitive stage, it is very important to have those representing the Syrian people in international forums.
It is true that all Arab peoples, along with the peoples of the free world, are happy with this liberation and are eager to taste the freedom and liberation like the Syrians did, but there are also the spiteful and lurking ones, especially the surrounding dictatorial regimes and their ally, Israel, who will not leave the Syrian people in peace. Israel considers what happened as a threat to its existence, and the Arab tyrants consider it a threat to their thrones, too.
From the first moment, Israel announced that the ceasefire agreement with the Syrian state became void, and invaded Syrian territory, took control of buffer zones, and carried out dozens of air strikes to destroy the capabilities of the Syrian people under the pretext of destroying strategic weapons to prevent it from falling into the hands of the opposition forces.
These air strikes are being carried out with the blessing of the Arab regimes, which is confirmed by the utter silence of the Arab regimes, as they were displeased by the fall of the criminal regime of Al-Assad, which they have been trying to revive and maintain over the years, but they failed, so they found no one except Israel to pressure the revolutionary forces with iron and fire with the aim of dragging them into the swamp of corruption and normalisation.
So far, we have not heard a single voice from the international community condemning this brutal aggression against Syria, its people and its capabilities, as if the Syrian people, who have just begun to heal the wounds endured during a dark era, do not deserve a sincere, loyal and serious stance to soothe their pain and deter this aggression. The Syrian people have suffered enormously at the hands of a bloody regime under the nose of the international community.
The Syrian people have a long path ahead of them to rebuild their state on the foundations of pluralism, justice, equality and freedom. To achieve this, the international community must provide all necessary means of support to rebuild their state institutions so that they become a respected state that would be treated equally with the rest of the world and achieves stability and security for its people.
We should not become overwhelmed by astonishment and surprise at the speed of the fall of a regime whose slogan was “Assad forever” who ruled over the people for more than fifty years, during which the Syrian people made great sacrifices on the path to liberating Syria forever. This is the history, which is full of stories, old and new, of tyrants and the ways in which they were ousted at the hands of peoples who possessed a solid will for change. Would anyone learn from this?
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20241210-liberating-syria-forever/
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'War Does Not Discriminate Between Black And White': Afro-Palestinian Family Trapped In Israel's Gaza Genocide
By Anadolu Agency
December 10, 2024
“The targeting today was near us, where around 20 people were killed. We’re exhausted.”
This message from Abdel Fattah Al-Behairi, 38, came after Israeli air strikes hit Gaza’s Al-Mawasi area, killing dozens of Palestinians just days ago.
Abdel lives in a makeshift tent in Al-Mawasi, a coastal area in Khan Yunis, with his wife and five children, one of whom is a newborn.
he told Anadolu, describing the difficult living conditions they face, apart from the relentless Israeli attacks.
An Afro-Palestinian family that once lived in Deir Al-Balah, a city in central Gaza, they have been displaced five times since their home was bombed by the Israeli army in March 2024.
Their story is just one of hundreds of thousands, as Israel has forcibly displaced nearly 2 million people in Gaza since launching its deadly war, which has now killed or wounded almost 150,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
Toys and sweets ‘erased from memory’
Internet problems in Gaza, caused by poor cell service and damaged infrastructure, make it difficult to reach Abdel.
When a call finally went through, he appeared with his children on the screen.
“I can honestly say that I am unable to meet any of my children’s needs,” he said.
The Palestinian father explains that food supplies are either unavailable or extremely expensive.
As for children’s toys and sweets, he says, “We consider them things erased from memory.”
He highlighted that humanitarian relief materials are often stolen in Gaza and that even when they reach those in need, amounts fall short of daily requirements.
This comes after the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) suspended aid deliveries through the Karm Abu Salem Crossing, the main route for aid into Gaza, after a convoy was “stolen by armed gangs” on 16 November.
UNRWA had said humanitarian operations in Gaza had become “unnecessarily impossible” due to Israeli authorities’ ongoing siege of the Territory and hurdles they have imposed, political decisions to restrict aid, lack of safety on aid routes and the targeting of local police.
Palestinian officials in Gaza have accused Israel of enabling thefts and worsening the crisis.
Abdel, a former tiler, reflects on the drastic changes in his life following the destruction of his home by the Israeli army.
“The income was excellent, and things were cheap. We used to live in a house of 210 square meters, but it was destroyed,” he said.
Now, the family has moved from their once-spacious home to a tent in Al-Mawasi, which Israel has called a supposed “safe zone”. But safety and stability are nowhere in sight.
Thousands of displaced Palestinians have flocked to the densely populated area, seeking refuge after being directed there by Israeli evacuation orders.
Despite the label, it has faced repeated Israeli air strikes even as those dwelling there struggle to find food, water and shelter.
Abdel’s brother recently died, trapped under rubble when a dilapidated wall collapsed while he was retrieving his children’s clothes from their destroyed home.
He is now responsible for two families, including his late brother’s.
‘Marginalised in every sense of the word’
Afro-Palestinians are a minority community in Gaza, with unofficial figures placing their number at about 1 per cent of the population.
People from various parts of Africa are believed to have started arriving in Palestine in the 12th century.
According to Ali Qleibo, a Palestinian anthropologist, the arrival of Afro-Palestinians in the region was driven by multiple factors.
Some were brought “through the Arab slave trade”, he told Anadolu, adding that others arrived as farmers or after travelling for an annual Muslim pilgrimage to the city of Mecca, also known as the Hajj.
While tracking the history of this community has been “very difficult”, Qleibo said Africans have always been present in Palestine. “African tribes have spread throughout North Africa and Palestine since times immemorial.”
Over time, some of their descendants, pious pilgrims, settled in Jerusalem, particularly in the African Quarter near the Al-Aqsa Mosque, while others formed communities in Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod and Jericho, he added.
Like many in Palestine, Afro-Palestinians have endured decades of displacement, war and systemic inequality imposed by Israel, though their experiences are shaped by additional layers of identity and history.
Despite their historical presence and contributions to Palestinian society, the community often faces systemic disadvantages.
“They don’t classify or stigmatise them,” Qleibo said, adding, “But they don’t embrace them either — it’s a kind of tolerance where you don’t notice the difference and the individuality.”
According to the African Community Society, an NGO based in Jerusalem, the community is considered one of the poorest in Palestinian society.
“Proof of this is that, even today, there is a high percentage of girls and boys who are forced to quit school and look for work so they can support their families. Only 1 per cent of youths in the community were able to continue their university education,” the NGO said in a statement shared with Anadolu.
Abdel, who is of Sudanese descent, spoke about his community’s historical roots and ongoing struggles in Gaza, explaining, “We are a minority, not many in number, and marginalised in every sense of the word.”
His family lived in the city of Beersheba, now in southern Israel’s Negev Desert, before they were displaced to Gaza after the Nakba, or “catastrophe” of 1948, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians faced violent displacement and dispossession of their land, property and belongings by Israelis.
“We still have relatives in Beersheba to this day. Now, we only meet once or twice a month, as the war has scattered us.”
On Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands, he said the ongoing “war does not discriminate between black and white”, but notes that they have faced “verbal discrimination”.
Regarding opportunities for Afro-Palestinians in Gaza, he added, “Some of those who pursue education migrate out of the Gaza Strip.”
At first, Abdel did not plan on leaving Gaza, believing that the war would eventually end. However, as Israel’s genocide continues unabated, he, like many others, has resorted to crowdfunding platforms to raise money, hoping to somehow get his loved ones to safety and give them a semblance of a normal life.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20241210-war-does-not-discriminate-between-black-and-white-afro-palestinian-family-trapped-in-israels-gaza-genocide/
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Israel Occupies Buffer Zone In Syria’s Golan Heights
By Anadolu Agency
December 10, 2024
Israel has expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights this week by seizing a UN-supervised demilitarised buffer zone, hours after the downfall of the Bashar Al-Assad regime.
Assad fled Syria to Russia where he was given asylum after anti-regime groups captured the capital, Damascus, on Sunday, putting an end to the rule of the Baath Party, which had been in power since 1963.
Shortly afterwards, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, announced the collapse of a UN-monitored disengagement agreement, which established a buffer zone between Israel and Syria.
The Israeli army took control of the mountain summit of Mount Hermon on the Syrian side of the border, and several other locations.
The army also mounted dozens of air strikes against military bases, air defence stations and intelligence headquarters as well as long- and short-range missile depots, unconventional weapon stockpiles across Syria.
Israel claims that its military actions inside Syrian territory are defensive “to prevent any threat”.
What is the Disengagement Agreement?
The Disengagement Agreement was signed on 31 May, 1974 between Syria and Israel in the presence of representatives of the United Nations, the former Soviet Union (Russia now) and the US.
The Agreement stipulates Israel’s withdrawal from all of the areas it had occupied during the 1973 war as well as an area of about 25 square kilometres (9.6 square miles) that included Quneitra and other locations.
The Agreement defines the current border between Israel and Syria along with the accompanying military arrangements, creating two separation lines – Israeli (blue) and Syrian (red) – with a buffer zone between them.
The Agreement is monitored by the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), as it is tasked with maintaining the ceasefire between Israel and Syria following the 1973 Middle East War.
Since 1974, UNDOF has patrolled the buffer zone between the Israeli- and Syrian-controlled zones.
Israel occupied most of the Golan Heights during the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed the territory in a move never recognised by the international community.
What is UNDOF?
According to the UNDOF website, as of August 2024, its personnel number was 1,309 members, comprising 1,117 soldiers, 59 officers and 133 civilian officers.
The top 10 contributing countries to the UNDOF force are: Nepal (451), Uruguay (211), India (201), Fiji (149), Kazakhstan (140), Ghana (5), Bhutan (4), the Czech Republic (4), Ireland (4) and Zambia (3).
What is the buffer zone?
According to the UNDOF website, the buffer zone “extends over 75 kilometres in length and ranges in width, from approximately 10 kilometres in the centre to 200 meters in the far south.”
The website also explains that, on either side of the buffer zone, there are boundary areas divided into three zones: an area from 0 to 10 kilometres from the buffer zone, an area from 10 to 20 kilometres, and an area from 20 to 25 kilometres from the buffer zone.
The UNDOF forces are assigned with the task of inspections and monitoring the buffer zone to ensure compliance with the agreed-upon restrictions on weapons and forces.
Does the buffer zone include Syrian villages?
There are several Syrian villages in the buffer zone area between Israel and Syria, according to the UNDOF website.
On Sunday, the Israeli army warned residents of five villages in southern Syria close to the Israeli border to remain in their homes due to their military actions in the area.
The list of villages includes Ofaniya, Quneitra, Al-Hamidiyah, Samdaniya Al-Gharbiyya and Al-Qahtaniyah.
Who are Golan Heights residents?
On 5 June, 1967, Israel occupied the Syrian Golan Heights and later annexed it to Israel’s sovereignty, in a move never recognised by the international community.
In December 1981, the Israeli Knesset (parliament) passed legislation known as the Golan Heights Law that allows the imposition of Israeli laws, jurisdiction and administration to the occupied territory.
There are currently some 45 Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights built on the ruins of Arab Syrian villages destroyed by Israel.
According to the Syrian Foreign Ministry, the remaining area under the Israeli occupation is estimated at 1,150 square kilometres and includes 137 villages and 112 farms.
On 25 March, 2019, then-US President Donald Trump signed a decision to recognise Israeli sovereignty over Syria’s occupied Golan Heights.
The population of the occupied Golan Heights are estimated at around 40,000 people, most of them are from the Arab Druze community while the rest are Israeli settlers.
What is the importance of the Golan Heights?
The Golan Heights is of strategic importance to Israel due to its geographic location, in addition to the Tiberias Lake, which is considered a main water source to Israel, according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
An Israeli think-tank also refers to the military defensive privileges and advantages the Golan Heights offer to Israel as it also enhances Israel’s military deterrence force in the region.
In a report titled “Israel’s Presence on the Golan Heights: A Strategic Necessity”, the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security said “Mount Hermon marks the northern end of the Heights. The mountain provides excellent means to observe the entire region, up to Damascus, only some 60 kilometres away to the east, and over to the Haifa Bay on the Mediterranean to the west.”
“Militarily, withdrawal from the Golan Heights would be a huge mistake. Control of this area gives Israel several important advantages,” the Israeli think-tank said.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20241210-israel-occupies-buffer-zone-in-syrias-golan-heights-q-a/
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UNRWA, Palestinian Children And The Two-State Diplomacy That Works Against Children’s Rights
By Ramona Wadi
December 10, 2024
According to UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini writing on X, “Wherever we work, @UNRWA is dedicated to helping children be children.” He noted the severe disruption of their education for Palestinian children in Gaza. No matter what anyone says, though, colonialism and genocide do not allow children to be children. Operating from within a colonial framework, UNRWA is fighting a lost battle. In October, Israel’s Knesset voted to ban the organisation from operating in the occupied Palestinian territories. In response, all that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres came up with was his “deep concern”. The humanitarian paradigm has even turned its proponents into fools.
“There is no alternative to UNRWA,” Guterres said in October. Oh yes there is. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East was supposed to be a temporary body helping Palestinians until they were able to exercise their legitimate right to return to their country. However, the UN turned it into a permanent fixture to preserve Israel’s existence and colonial expansion. If there is no replacement for UNRWA because the UN decided Israeli colonisation should be given priority, then the UN needs to rectify its decades-old mistake.
At the Doha Mediation Forum this week, Lazzarini warned that, “UNRWA’s collapse would deprive at least 50,000 children of education, and half a million Palestine refugees of primary healthcare.” But while UNRWA claims neutrality, and indeed its donors, especially the US, have insisted upon the agency implementing strict neutrality, Lazzarini mentioned the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution as an initiative that “can help to determine a viable political path forward.”
At a time when genocide is being carried out by the settler-colonial state in occupied Palestine, the EU and Arab states are still promoting the two-state “solution” and creating diplomatic careers out of managing the brutal consequences of colonialism.
Promoting the failed diplomacy of opportunists will not, however, help children be children. Palestinian children in Gaza are deeply traumatised individuals. Many were even before the current genocide, and the blame lies solely with Israel and the international community which defends Israel’s security narrative, several of which are also major UNRWA donors. Rhetoric such as “helping children be children” glosses over the colonial and genocidal reality that Palestinian children in Gaza are living daily. Gaza is completely unsafe terrain; children have been killed, burnt to death, brutally shredded by bombs, maimed for life and starved. Some have been targeted while carrying the remains of their dead siblings.
There is no normality left in Gaza. If it is still allowed to operate, UNRWA will be facing unprecedented circumstances that should do away with the premise of neutrality. A child living in a non-genocidal context can relate to “children being children”. Palestinian children have faced horrors that most adults in this world will never experience in a lifetime, especially not the diplomats participating in any two-state skulduggery, the perfect veneer for wasting precious time while Israel colonises and annexes ever more Palestinian territory.
Promoting a two-state “solution” does not help Palestinian children to be children. Instead of hailing initiatives that have gone nowhere over the past 30+ years, UNRWA should take a political stance that makes sense of its mandate. The international community has a duty to eradicate colonialism; the UN has even pledged to do so, apart from Israeli colonialism, of course.
UNRWA can fulfil its mandate if the UN fulfils its duty to eradicate all colonialism and restore Palestine to the Palestinian people. Then, perhaps, future generations of Palestinian children can indeed be children in their own land. Until then, UNRWA will be operating from a political deficit that it fails, refuses or is not allowed to acknowledge, and Palestinian children will never be children in the idealised way that children are imagined to be.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20241210-unrwa-palestinian-children-and-the-two-state-diplomacy-that-works-against-childrens-rights/
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The Road For Palestine Liberation Can Only Go Through Palestine Itself
By Dr Ramzy Baroud
December 10, 2024
A new kind of unity around Palestine is finally finding its way to the Palestine solidarity movement worldwide. The reason is obvious: Gaza.
The world’s first live-streamed genocide is taking place in the Gaza Strip. The growing compassion and solidarity with the Palestinian victims have helped to re-centre priorities from the typical political and ideological conflicts back to where they should have always been: the plight of the Palestinian people.
In other words, it is the sheer criminality of Israel; the steadfastness, resilience and dignity of the Palestinians; and the genuine love for Palestine and its people from ordinary people that have imposed themselves on the rest of the world.
While many solidarity groups, despite their differences, have always found margins for unity around Palestine, many have not. Instead of rallying in support of a Palestinian justice-based discourse, mainly focused on ending the Israeli occupation, dismantling apartheid and obtaining full Palestinian rights, many groups have rallied around their own ideological, political and often personal priorities.
This has led to deep divisions and, ultimately, the unfortunate splintering of what was meant to be a single global movement. Although many people claim, rightly, that the movement has suffered the dire consequences of the Syrian war and other conflicts linked to the so-called Arab Spring, in truth the movement has been prone historically to divisions, long before the recent Middle East upheavals.
The collapse of the Soviet Union, starting in 1990, has left permanent scars on all progressive movements across the world. In the words of Domenico Losurdo, “western Marxists” retreated to their academic hubs, and “eastern Marxists” were left alone fighting the scourges of the US-led “new world order”.
The balkanisation of the socialist movement globally, but mainly in western countries, can still be seen in the view of many socialist groups regarding events in Palestine, and of their proscribed “solutions” to the Israeli occupation. Whether these “solutions” are pertinent or not is of very little value to the struggle of the Palestinians on the ground; after all, these magic formulas are often developed in western academic laboratories, with little or no connection whatsoever to events taking place in Jenin, Khan Yunis or Jabaliya.
Moreover, there is the problem of transnational solidarity. This type of solidarity is simply conditioned on the expected return of an equal amount of solidarity in the form of political reciprocity. This notion is a misinformed application of the concept of intersectionality, as in various disaffected groups offering mutual solidarity to amplify their collective voice and advance their interests.
While intersectionality at a global level is hardly functional, let alone tested — interstate relations are usually governed by political strategy, national interests and geopolitical formations — intersectionality within a national and local framework is very much possible. For the latter to carry meaning, however, it requires an organic understanding of the struggles of each group, a degree of social immersion and genuine love and compassion for one another.
In the case of Palestine, however, this noble idea is often conflated with negotiable and transactional solidarity, which might work at the political stage, especially during times of elections, but rarely helps cement long-term bonds between oppressed communities over time.
The ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza has certainly helped many groups expand the margins of unity so that they may work together to bring the extermination of Gaza to an end, and to hold Israeli war criminals accountable in any way possible. This positive sentiment, however, must continue long after the end of the genocide, until the Palestinian people are finally free from the yoke of Israeli settler colonialism.
The point here is that we already have numerous reasons to find and maintain unity around Palestine, without labouring to find ideological, political or any other kind of common ground.
The settler-colonial Israeli project is but a manifestation of western colonialism and imperialism in their classical definitions. The genocide in Gaza is no different to the genocide of the Herero and Nama people of Namibia at the turn of the 20th century, and US-western interventionism in Palestine is no different to the destructive role played by Western countries in Vietnam and numerous other contested spaces all over the world.
Placing the Israeli occupation of Palestine in a colonial framework has helped many liberate themselves from confused notions about Israel’s “inherent rights” over the Palestinians. Indeed, there can be no justification for the existence of Israel as an exclusively “Jewish State” in a land that belonged to the native Palestinian people.
By the same token, the much-touted Israeli “right to self-defence”, a notion that some “progressives” continue to parrot, does not apply to military occupiers in an active state of aggression or those carrying out genocide.
Keeping the focus on Palestinian priorities also has other benefits, including that of moral clarity. Those who do not find the rights of the Palestinian people compelling enough to develop a united front were never intended to be part of the movement in the first place, thus their “solidarity” is superficial.
The road for Palestine liberation can only go through Palestine itself and, more specifically, the clarity of purpose of the Palestinian people who, more than any other nation in modern times, have paid and continue to pay the highest price for their freedom.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20241210-the-road-for-palestine-liberation-can-only-go-through-palestine-itself/
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Who Will Rule Syria?
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed
December 10, 2024
After the celebrations end and the last statues of the Assads are toppled, Syrians will face a new and uncertain day. Who will govern them? Will it be a single individual or a committee? Or will there be more than one Syria — three or four perhaps?
The situation may not be straightforward or smooth, as Bashar Assad left behind a fragmented country divided among various factions. The group that toppled Aleppo and led the change was Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, under the leadership of Abu Mohammed Al-Golani, which emerged from the Turkish-influenced area.
The force that entered Damascus — the Southern Operations Room led by Ahmad Al-Ouda — advanced from Deraa province. It is a small faction of the remnants of the Free Syrian Army. Meanwhile, the group securing the border with Iraq was the Kurdish-majority Syrian Democratic Forces, operating within the US-influenced zone.
Damascus resembles Berlin in April 1945, when allied forces entered the city: Britain and America from the west and the Soviets from the east. They agreed on the demise of Hitler, who committed suicide just before they arrived, but disagreed on governing Berlin. The Soviets occupied the east, while the western part of the city was handed to the Western allies.
On Damascus’ victory day, all the victors were Syrians arriving from different zones of influence, as toppling the regime would not have been possible without external support. According to the agreements preceding Assad’s departure, governance is expected to transition to Syrian forces, revolutionaries and independents in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254.
This document, endorsed by the five major powers, stipulates governance by a transitional government, the drafting of a constitution and subsequent elections. However, it is likely that HTS will ultimately emerge as Syria’s de facto ruler, given that it is the most powerful force and it managed to overthrow Assad’s regime in roughly two weeks. The SDF will likely continue ruling eastern Syria, with the Euphrates River effectively serving as a Berlin Wall dividing the two sides — unless the factions agree on a federal distribution of power, as previously proposed by Al-Golani, or something similar.
Even if they agree, Syria is not for the Syrians alone — a reality that has shaped its fate throughout history. Regional and global powers have always had a say. I recently finished James Barr’s book “A Line in the Sand,” which details the British-French rivalry, much of which involved a struggle over the Levant between the two world wars. Iran, Turkiye, Iraq and Israel are unlikely to give up their influence.
Relations with these countries will depend on their interests and policies. Some nations will pose a threat to the stability of the new Syria, fearing it might emerge as a rival power. Others will support stability in the new Syrian government to rebalance the regional power dynamics, which have previously favoured Iran. These countries believe that the changes in Damascus will contribute to regional stability.
This means that Damascus faces a choice: Either navigate through landmines or act pre-emptively to reassure all concerned nations, including its neighbor Iraq, as well as Iran and even Israel. All share apprehensions about the fall of Assad’s regime.
The interests of Syria and the region lie in forming a new system that reduces dangerous tensions and ends the severe polarization that Assad’s regime contributed to, ultimately causing its downfall. A policy of reconciliation could serve as insurance for the nascent government. This is what Al-Golani hinted at in last week’s televised message to Iraq’s prime minister, in which he stated that the new Syria would not be an adversary to Baghdad and would instead extend a hand of friendship and respect.
Syria has just emerged from a 50-plus-year era and it faces numerous internal and external challenges. The nascent state will need money, advice and patience. It will require support from its fellow Arab countries, not just politically but also in humanitarian efforts.
Providing moral support through presence and participation is crucial, ensuring the new leadership is not left vulnerable to those with harmful agendas and reckless intentions or adventurists who have destroyed their own and other countries. The fires in the region have not been extinguished for the past 13 years and they continue to burn today. Look around and you will see numerous failed changes that serve as sufficient lessons for the new revolutionaries.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2582550
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