Middle East Press On: Sudan, Palestinians’ Lives, New Syria, Israeli Women, and Europe’s Double Standard: New Age Islam's Selection, 19 March 2025
By New Age Islam Edit Desk
19 Mar. 25
· As the civil war grinds on, Sudan faces a 39-month extension of military rule
· Palestinians’ lives blocked by checkpoints
· A new Syria hinges on settlements and breakthroughs
· Netanyahu fuelling the fire to escape the flames
· The world must finally recognize Hamas' tactics as manipulation
· As war continues, it's time to empower Israeli women
· Javier Milei: Israel's unorthodox, eccentric, 'loco' uncle from Argentina
· Minorities abandoned: Europe's double standard on Islamist oppression in the Middle East
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As The Civil War Grinds On, Sudan Faces A 39-Month Extension Of Military Rule
March 18, 2025
By Khalil Charles
With the Sudanese military closing in on the remnants of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) still in the capital Khartoum, the talk in Port Sudan is that Sudan’s Sovereignty Council Chairman, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, is about to install a caretaker “war government”. A political entity is needed to navigate the state through the crises brought on by the two-year-old civil war between the army and the RSF militia. The current political reality, according to commentators, must now address a different task from the one faced by the transitional government formed on the removal of Sudan’s former leader, Omer Ahmed Al-Bashir, who was ousted in April 2019.
The primary task would be to support the military in its mission to “liberate Sudan” completely. Of the key amendments proposed in the new constitution, the most striking introduces a new transitional period that cannot exceed 39 months unless a national consensus is reached or a general election is held.
The amendments also removed any references to the RSF or the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), both of which were key components under the post-Al-Bashir constitution. Other changes include barring individuals holding foreign passports from government positions and placing foreign policy under the direct supervision of the sovereignty council. In addition, the clause that designated the legislative council as the authority for legislation and oversight has been taken out. Instead, the new constitution establishes a “transitional legislative authority” composed of the sovereignty council and the cabinet. The authority grants it legislative and oversight powers over the executive apparatus until a legislative council or parliament is elected or established.
However, as things stand, the new constitution does not prevent the consensus to move towards a general election. Previous systems mandated the fixed transitional period that would allow the “deep state” of the Bashir regime to be dismantled before the country could go to the polls. It also challenged the power of the army to monopolise parts of the economy.
The amendments also changed the composition of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, from its previous provision for civilian members, to stipulating 11 members, including six appointed by the Armed Forces and three nominated by the signatories to the Juba Peace Agreement, with gender and regional quotas allowed for the remaining positions. The council will continue to be chaired by the military commander-in-chief, Al-Burhan, for the duration of the 39-month transitional period.
Meanwhile, discussions over the appointment of a prime minister have already begun. Media sources in the cabinet’s general secretariat told the Mada Masr news outlet that three candidates are being considered for the position, with former Foreign Ministry Undersecretary and Sudan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Dafallah Al-Hajj Ali emerging as the frontrunner. Ali is believed to have garnered significant approval within both the sovereignty council and cabinet circles, according to the outlet. However, the source noted that the announcement of the prime minister is linked to military operations in Khartoum, with indications that the appointment could be made from within the capital.
In South Darfur’s RSF-controlled Nyala in central Sudan, the militia is reported to be in retreat. The mass exodus from Sudan’s third largest city has resulted in reports by local residents of uncontrolled, widespread looting. Reports also claim that the RSF-appointed Nyala council has been absent as former government officials impose fees and levies on already exorbitant and dwindling supplies, and armed groups extort thousands of Sudanese pounds from those travelling by road.
The army leadership has promised to begin the task to “liberate” the Darfur region which is controlled by the RSF. Based on previous experiences of war in Darfur during the rule of Omer Al-Bashir, the army is expected to forge new alliances within the Darfur tribes. Given the hostilities between RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and some other Darfur leaders from the Arab tribes, such as his uncle, Musa Hilal, observers are expecting a greater fragmentation of the Darfur tribal components between the two sides, suggesting that the scope of the armed conflict in the region is set to expand.
The trend towards separating the Darfur region from Sudanese national territory is driven internally by ethnic motivations, which some argue was primarily driven by the political practices of the previous Sudanese government over the past two decades. Externally, Israeli support is aimed at splitting Sudan in two. According to recent reports in the Independent Arabic website, a number of Zionists are currently active in US charitable organisations working particularly with those displaced from Darfur to eastern Chad.
It is difficult to see how the drive to forge a separate political entity will play out. However, in the event that Sudan is able to be stabilised politically and economically, particularly in the northern, central and eastern regions, while strengthening international trade, the balance of its regions’ influences may change.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20250318-as-the-civil-war-grinds-on-sudan-faces-a-39-month-extension-of-military-rule/
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Palestinians’ Lives Blocked By Checkpoints
Yossi Mekelberg
March 18, 2025
One of the most visible and disturbing symbols of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, one that makes the hardships of the Palestinians living there even more unbearable, are the checkpoints. The long wait to cross them, or often to be turned back, hinders people from getting to work, from getting to a medical appointment on time, from seeing family and friends or from reaching school. But above all it creates a strong sense of humiliation.
If you are a Palestinian, regardless of age or gender, you are at the mercy of young soldiers, often teenagers, who, after hours of making you wait, can decide whether you can continue to your destination. You can stand there for hours on end exposed to the elements — in the scorching summer heat or the cold and muddy conditions of the winter — enduring this routine that is at least as much about grinding the local population into submission as it is about security.
To be fair, many soldiers see their time on checkpoint duty as the worst part of their service because they feel the mental burden that comes with these daily episodes of friction with the local population. I recall a conversation with a young soldier who told me that the thought of the power asymmetry between himself, armed to the teeth, and the civilians whose fear he could see in their eyes while they presented their IDs and begged him to let them pass kept him awake at night. It made it even more difficult, he said, if they were frail or sick or on their way to receive medical treatment, sometimes even for a lifesaving procedure, or if they were pregnant and on the way to give birth.
However, there are also those soldiers who abuse this position of power — and they are usually able to do so with complete impunity. Above all, checkpoints represent the banal routine of an oppressive occupation that is a blight on the daily lives of ordinary people, as well as demonstrating the asymmetric power relations between the occupiers and the occupied.
Nearly a quarter of a century ago, three Jewish Jerusalemite women of conscience, after encountering a military checkpoint in the West Bank for the first time, founded a nongovernmental organization and named it Machsom Watch (Checkpoint Watch). There are now 500 women activists who expose and document the ills of the occupation, but above all the mushrooming number of checkpoints and how they operate.
For instance, they recently reported that on the first Friday of Ramadan, people who braved the wet weather from across the West Bank to reach the infamous Qalandiya Checkpoint, in the faint hope of reaching Jerusalem for prayers, were all turned back. Worse, they described the experience as follows: “Unlike previous Ramadan Fridays, (on this day) no attempts were made to prettify toughness of heart, no holiday greetings from the ruler, no (relaxing of the rules) like humanitarian passage and/or lighter restrictions for women, children and the elderly. All people, rejected regardless of gender, age and state of health, no longer had the right to observe their faith and pray at their holy shrine.”
In other words, not a semblance of pretence anymore that checkpoints are a necessary evil of Israel’s security within the Green Line; instead, they are simply about control and treating the entire Palestinian population as the enemy.
The network of checkpoints, dozens of them permanent, others temporary, was spread out all over the West Bank well before Oct. 7, 2023, and since then many more have been appearing suddenly and with no warning, immediately disrupting lives.
In early 2023, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs documented 645 physical obstacles in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, ranging from 49 checkpoints constantly staffed by Israeli forces or private security companies to other occasionally staffed roadblocks, earth mounds, road gates, road barriers and trenches.
This figure did not include the Israeli-controlled area of Hebron, where there are dozens more checkpoints and obstacles, many equipped with metal detectors, surveillance cameras and facial recognition technology, and with facilities for detention and interrogation. To ensure the security of about 1,000 ultra-extremist settlers, the movements of at least 30,000 Palestinians who live in the Israeli-controlled part of the city have been turned into a living hell. And all these restrictions and obstacles are for the benefit of those who declare that under no circumstances do they wish for peaceful coexistence between equals in this city.
This extreme situation epitomizes the broader phenomenon of limiting the freedom of movement of Palestinians in the West Bank and the situation has worsened since the Oct. 7 attacks. Almost 100 more obstacles have been erected since then. This is in addition to the 712 km-long separation barrier, which Israel began building in 2002 and is the single largest obstacle to the free movement of Palestinians, but not Israelis.
Admittedly, Israel began erecting this barrier during the Second Intifada, with the aim of containing terrorist attacks inside Israel, but this does not explain why it was not built along the Green Line. Instead, about 85 percent of the barrier’s route winds through the West Bank, which is occupied by Israel, and restricts and disrupts the freedom of movement of Palestinians either permanently or irregularly. The original idea might have been security, but with the influence of the leaders of the settlements and their political allies, it has become more an instrument to further a future annexation.
By now, the enormous number of restrictions by checkpoints that prevent, for instance, farmers from cultivating their land and people from getting to work or to worship, let alone the danger of being arrested and even shot should they be suspected of not following the instructions of those guarding the checkpoints, suggests that the balance between security and oppression has long since tilted toward the latter.
When ambulances are treated at checkpoints like any other vehicle, as some evidence suggests, this is deliberately reckless and is simply about demonstrating who rules the roost in this land. For most Palestinians, this is their only engagement with Israelis and it leaves with them an extremely bad taste in their mouth. While the morality, or more accurately the immorality, of this situation does not need much elaboration, it leaves open the question: How do those who design and impose these policies think that they could possibly be serving Israel’s interests?
After all, they only increase resentment, damage the economy and leave many Palestinians feeling humiliated. But the messianic ultranationalists, in addition to satisfying their power trip, believe that all this expedites annexation and even transfer, leaving peace and reconciliation between the two peoples so much harder to achieve.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2594006
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A New Syria Hinges On Settlements and Breakthroughs
Eyad Abu Shakra
March 18, 2025
The new chapter in Syria, which began after it turned the page on almost 54 years of Assadist rule in December, could be undermined by the painful developments earlier this month.
The new leadership in Damascus, as far as I can tell, was aware that former regime remnants had been present in the region, and of the communities had profited from its transgressions without having necessarily played any part in them.
On the other hand, I also believe that certain Syrian factions are sceptical that coexistence with the new leadership’s ideology (with its interpretation of political Islam “in power”) is possible. Indeed, Syria has witnessed many episodes of religious and sectarian violence from various directions over the past 14 years — kidnappings, forced disappearances and even massacres. Moreover, despite the broad popular support they enjoy, the current interim authorities only came to power under exceptional circumstances and due to a military balance that could change at any moment.
While this leadership currently enjoys some regional and international support, every reasonable observer understands that it does not have a mandate to do what it likes. On the contrary, it is being closely scrutinized by international actors and the immense confidence exhibited by key figures in the top brass despite the tabs the world is keeping — perhaps even more confidence than a great many Syrian citizens — is striking.
On the other hand, the speed at which the “understanding” between the new Damascus authority and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces was announced, despite indications that a clash had been all but inevitable, strongly signals that Washington is comfortable with the new leadership in Damascus.
Since the SDF is an integral part of Washington’s strategy in Syria, the underlying message is that Syria’s territorial unity will not be threatened, as had previously been assumed, by a separatist Kurdish insurgency. Thus, it seems that all the gains made by the SDF in recent years merely improved the terms of this deal with the authorities in Damascus, encouraging the Druze in southern Syria to follow a similar path.
The Druze, particularly in southern Syria, remain a force to be reckoned with. However, it may take longer for a decisive outcome to emerge. Keen observers have gotten the sense that the unprecedented Israeli offensive to “protect” and “support” the Druze has complicated things in the Druze-majority province of Suwayda. Israel has taken these steps despite not having been publicly asked to do so by the Druze and many doubt that any major Druze political leader would openly endorse such an initiative.
The Druze understood the impetus behind Israel’s pressure campaign when Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister, Israel Katz, mentioned the $1 billion that Israel had allocated for this campaign. This development certainly did not come out of nowhere. Rather, the seeds of this plan were probably planted some time ago — in Syria itself, as well as in Lebanon and the diaspora, particularly in the US, where the Israeli lobby has plenty of room for manoeuvre, as well as a lot of sway, including through intelligence infiltration.
Indeed, while Suwayda activists from various factions have sought arrangements with Damascus to preserve national unity and reinforce the fraternity of Syria’s communities, Israel’s “veto” has upped the ante and shed doubt on these settlements. In my view, even in the southern region (Suwayda, Deraa and Quneitra), Washington’s priorities do not significantly diverge from Netanyahu’s.
This brings us to the wounded coastline. Alawites make up a majority of the population in rural Latakia and Tartus, as well as the suburbs of Syria’s four coastal cities: Latakia, Tartus, Jableh and Baniyas.
The operations of paramilitaries affiliated with the former regime, or some of its factions, could not have happened without Iran’s support. Indeed, the statements that Iranian officials made before the militias launched their attacks, which had horrific consequences, make Iran’s stance crystal clear: the new authorities in Damascus are not acceptable and that they will not last long.
However, one might wonder whether the leadership in Tehran misread the situation and misunderstood the dynamics of the relationship between the new Damascus authorities and the international community, especially Washington.
It is reasonable to assume that the US-Israeli strategy is hostile to a resurgence of Iranian influence. That might explain the restraint of the US-Russian initiative at the UN Security Council and relatively mild rhetoric about the massacres on the coast last week, which led to the deaths of approximately 1,225 people.
The UNSC condemned the “massacre” of civilians, called on the Damascus authorities “to protect all Syrians, regardless of ethnicity or religion” and condemned the violence, particularly against Alawite civilians. It then urged the authorities to prosecute those who were implicated in the violence and called for “further measures to prevent its recurrence.”
Finally, the draft constitutional declaration was recently announced in Damascus. Several of its provisions sparked controversy, particularly the way in which it concentrated power in the hands of the president, its five-year timeline for the transition, the dissolution of Syria’s constitutional court, and the president’s authority (albeit temporary) to appoint the members of the new constitutional court.
Critics argue that it would have been better to avoid stipulations that bring the recent past to mind. Instead, they recommend a stronger focus on broadening political representation and reassuring Syria’s communities, as well as avoiding “past experiments” and not rekindling old concerns.
Diversity enriches and protects Syria. Fostering unity and communal harmony is particularly crucial at this stage; the country needs all its qualified and dedicated citizens to contribute. No community should be excluded or marginalized.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2594005
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Netanyahu Fueling The Fire To Escape The Flames
Hani Hazaimeh
March 18, 2025
Benjamin Netanyahu’s warmongering ideology has long defined Israel’s approach to Gaza, but in recent months his escalatory rhetoric and relentless military campaigns have exposed the dangerous depths of his political calculus. Far from being about security, Netanyahu’s ongoing aggression against Gaza is a carefully calculated strategy — one designed to ensure his political survival, shield him from corruption scandals and perpetuate a system of oppression that serves Israel’s expansionist ambitions. The international community cannot afford to remain passive. His unchecked militarism is not only devastating Palestinian lives but also destabilizing the entire region.
For Netanyahu, war is a political tool, not a last resort. Facing corruption charges and an increasingly fractured government, he has relied on continuous conflict to rally support from Israel’s far-right factions. The more brutal the military campaign, the more he secures the backing of ultranationalist and extremist parties that are essential to his fragile coalition. War has become his most effective distraction, shifting public focus away from his legal troubles and domestic governance failures. In this cynical game, the lives of Palestinian civilians are collateral damage in Netanyahu’s bid to cling to power.
But his strategy extends beyond political self-preservation. Netanyahu has long embraced the doctrine of “controlled destabilization,” ensuring that Gaza remains in a state of permanent crisis. By periodically unleashing devastating military operations under various pretexts — whether assassinations of resistance leaders or retaliation for rocket fire — he prevents the Strip from achieving any semblance of stability. This endless cycle of destruction ensures that Palestinian resistance remains fractured, that no alternative governance structures emerge and that Gaza remains an open-air prison under an unrelenting siege.
Even more insidious is the Zionist agenda embedded within this strategy: the gradual demographic manipulation of Gaza’s population. The systematic destruction of infrastructure, the targeting of hospitals and schools, and the tightening of blockades serve a larger goal — to push Palestinians into a humanitarian catastrophe so unbearable that displacement becomes inevitable. Netanyahu and his far-right allies know they cannot expel Gaza’s population overnight, so they create conditions that make life unsustainable. Starvation, disease and homelessness are not unintended consequences; they are deliberate instruments of ethnic cleansing.
The human cost of Netanyahu’s policies is staggering. Gaza’s healthcare system, already fragile due to years of blockade, is collapsing under the weight of relentless bombardment and shortages of critical medical supplies. Hospitals are overflowing with casualties, many of them children who have suffered gruesome injuries from Israeli airstrikes. Doctors and nurses, working under unimaginable conditions, are forced to make impossible choices about who receives lifesaving treatment and who is left to die. The deliberate targeting of medical facilities is not just a war crime — it is a calculated strategy to break the will of the people by denying them even the most basic means of survival.
Beyond the hospitals, the situation is equally catastrophic. With water and electricity supplies systematically cut off, Gazans are struggling to access even the most fundamental necessities of life. Families are drinking contaminated water, leading to a surge in waterborne diseases, while children go to sleep hungry as food supplies dwindle. Entire neighbourhoods have been reduced to rubble, leaving tens of thousands homeless with no place to seek refuge. The psychological toll of constant bombardment, loss and displacement has created a generation of traumatized children who have never known a day of peace.
The blockade, imposed under the guise of security, is in reality a tool of collective punishment. It prevents Gaza from rebuilding, from developing, from even hoping for a better future. Students who dream of furthering their education abroad are trapped, their ambitions crushed by an occupation that denies them the right to mobility. Farmers are unable to cultivate their lands and fishermen who dare venture beyond Israel’s arbitrary sea limits are shot at or arrested. Every aspect of life in Gaza is dictated by an occupying power that seeks not just to dominate, but to suffocate.
Despite these horrors, the resilience of the Gazan people remains unshaken. They continue to find ways to live, to create, to resist. Artists paint murals on bombed-out walls, musicians play amid the ruins and teachers hold classes in makeshift tents. This defiance, this refusal to be erased, is the ultimate act of resistance against Netanyahu’s genocidal policies. The world must not only recognize their suffering but stand in solidarity with their fight for dignity and justice.
What Netanyahu fails to account for is the unwavering resilience of the Palestinian people. Despite relentless bombings, enforced poverty and unimaginable suffering, Gaza refuses to submit. Its people continue to resist not just through armed struggle but through their sheer will to survive, to educate their children and to assert their right to exist on their land. Netanyahu’s military superiority has not and will not break the Palestinian spirit.
But resistance alone is not enough. The international community must recognize that Netanyahu’s policies are not just a threat to Gaza but to regional and global stability. His warmongering risks igniting wider conflicts, drawing in neighbouring countries and fuelling extremism on all sides. If the world continues to turn a blind eye, it will be complicit in the perpetuation of endless war.
It is time for concrete action. Diplomatic condemnation without consequences is meaningless. The world must impose real costs on Netanyahu’s government — through sanctions, arms embargoes and legal accountability for war crimes. The International Criminal Court must pursue investigations with urgency and governments that claim to champion human rights must stop enabling Israel’s war machine through military aid and political cover.
Netanyahu’s endless war cannot be allowed to continue. The time for half-measures and empty statements is over. The world must act decisively to curb his reckless militarism and ensure that justice for Gaza is not just a distant dream, but an urgent reality.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2593996
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The World Must Finally Recognize Hamas' Tactics As Manipulation
By Jpost Editorial
March 19, 2025
The past 24 hours have seen a dramatic escalation in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. On Monday night, the IDF launched a new wave of airstrikes targeting Hamas positions across the Gaza Strip. The operation, according to the Prime Minister’s Office, was “a response to Hamas’s refusal to release the hostages still held in Gaza.”
In a series of precise strikes, four senior Hamas officials were eliminated: Mahmoud Abu Watfa, the director-general of Hamas’s Interior Ministry; Issam al-Da’alis, a member of Hamas’s political bureau; Ahmed Omar al-Hatta, a senior leader; and Bahjat Abu Sultan, responsible for Hamas’s internal security apparatus. Meanwhile, Hamas says that over 300 people have been killed, including civilians caught in the crossfire.
Defence Minister Israel Katz has made it clear that the IDF will continue its operations until “Hamas understands that the rules of the game have changed” and that it must release all hostages or face “the opening of the gates of hell.” These words reflect the shift in Israel’s strategic approach – no longer allowing Hamas to use ceasefires as a means to regroup and rearm.
For weeks, Hamas stalled negotiations in Doha, rejecting opportunities to release hostages and de-escalate the conflict. It refused to release captives on March 1, March 8, and March 15, while simultaneously pretending to engage in good-faith discussions. This pattern is familiar: Hamas consistently seeks international sympathy through ceasefires it never intends to honour while using the lull to strengthen its forces. Reports indicate that despite suffering significant losses since October 7, Hamas has managed to reconstitute a force of up to 25,000 fighters, even recruiting minors.
The notion of a “Ramadan ceasefire” was nothing more than a ploy. Hamas believed it could exploit the holy month to pause hostilities and reinforce its ranks, assuming that Israel would succumb to international pressure.
It miscalculated. Israel understands the cost of waiting; every delay emboldens the terrorist organization and prolongs the suffering of the hostages it continues to hold. Israel’s response – targeted strikes on Hamas infrastructure – is a necessary step to ensure that Hamas does not use a ceasefire as a smokescreen for its next attack.
Hamas has no legitimacy to cry foul. It was Hamas that provoked this latest round of violence, just as it did on October 7, when it launched its brutal attack on Israeli civilians. Since then, the terror group has sought to dictate the terms of engagement, weaponizing human shields and international media narratives while keeping the people of Gaza under its oppressive rule.
Israel won't let Hamas make the rules
Israel has no obligation to allow Hamas to dictate the battlefield. The era in which Hamas could launch attacks, retreat under the cover of a ceasefire, and then reemerge stronger must come to an end. With the backing of its allies, Israel must continue to pressure Hamas until it is no longer capable of threatening its citizens.
Hamas’s dwindling list of allies should serve as a warning to its leadership. Iran, often its most vocal supporter, has strategically distanced itself, wary of the consequences of its continued sponsorship of regional terrorism. “If Tehran is not careful, it will wake up to find all its proxies have had their wings clipped – then they become a liability instead of an asset,” Seth J. Frantzman of The Jerusalem Post wrote on Tuesday.
The Houthis and Hezbollah, once eager to join the fight, now find themselves constrained by their own battles and US military pressure. Hamas stands increasingly isolated, yet it remains committed to a strategy that will only bring more destruction to Gaza and suffering to its own people.
Where the new strikes go is still up in the air. Israel has a lot of choices. Israel’s actions in Gaza have received support from the Trump administration. Meanwhile, the Arab nations have supported an Egyptian rehabilitation plan for Gaza. But those states are also dealing with other problems.
“There are the US strikes on the Houthis as well as Syria’s tensions with Hezbollah in Lebanon,” Frantzman explained on Tuesday.
Israel’s objective is clear: ensure that Hamas can no longer function as an organized terrorist entity. This requires sustained military pressure, strategic strikes, and a refusal to engage in futile negotiations that only serve to prolong Hamas’ grip on power. The world must recognize Hamas’ tactics for what they are – a desperate attempt to stall, deceive, and survive at the expense of peace.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-846605
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As War Continues, It's Time To Empower Israeli Women
By Alon Tal
March 19, 2025
After World War II, women’s indispensable contributions on the home front in places like the United States and United Kingdom fundamentally reshaped societal expectations, signalling a shift that paved the way for greater leadership opportunities in those countries.
As they took on critical roles in a variety of industries and arenas while men were away fighting the war, women demonstrated their resilience, capability, and leadership potential.
This societal transformation was not just a response to a complex and lengthy conflict; it was a recognition of women’s ability to step up in times of crisis and to lead in their own right.
There is much Israeli society can learn from the opportunity that emanated from that particular crisis in the middle of the last century.
The pogrom of October 7 was the bloodiest day in the history of the Jewish people since the end of the Holocaust, but it also once again showed many sides to women’s abilities.
Women take on leadership roles during the war
As an example, a group of women became the first female armoured crews in Israel, and perhaps the world, to participate in active battle when they grabbed their tank, sped down to the Gaza border, and took out dozens of terrorist infiltrators, saving countless lives.
This was a story of quick thinking, heroism, and bravery that proved women can serve and fight in battle. This is certainly no exception or aberration.
Since October 7, women have been taking leading positions in the war effort, demonstrating bravery and resilience, whether with social or national efforts, leaders in the Hostages and Missing Families’ Forum, taking charge on the home front, or demonstrating grit and determination in the face of the military and security challenges.
This resurgence of female leadership is a testament to the strength and resilience of women in Israel. Yet, as we witness their active involvement in multiple arenas, we must ask ourselves: are we doing enough to foster their continued growth in roles across and at all levels of Israeli society?
Now is the time to seize this moment, to turn crisis into opportunity by empowering Israeli women and expanding their reach into political, economic, and societal leadership. The impact of women in leadership has been demonstrated time and again.
When women are in leadership roles in different arenas, societies thrive.
They bring diverse perspectives, innovative solutions, and a deeply rooted sense of empathy and collaboration. This is especially crucial in times of national strife when the strength of community and collective problem-solving is paramount.
However, this potential cannot be realized without deliberate action.
Empowering women
To ensure women’s contributions are sustained and amplified, we must create and support targeted initiatives that equip them with the resources, training, and opportunities necessary to excel.
Whether it’s through mentorship programs, leadership training, or increased representation in government, these programs can ensure that women not only occupy spaces of influence but also have the power and support to lead effectively.
That is why the Merit Spread Foundation is supporting such important and empowering initiatives, like the WoMed Mentorship Program, a program that advances outstanding early-career female physicians into key roles in clinical, academic, and administrative fields through personal mentoring; Seeing You, a unique initiative offering a range of emotional support services for wives of reservist combat soldiers; and Women in Tech Israel, an organization that strengthens the Israeli female technology ecosystem in national and international industries.
Nevertheless, we must also consider the social barriers that still exist. Gender biases and cultural norms often prevent women from reaching their full potential, regardless of their proven competence.
It’s crucial to challenge these systemic obstacles head-on, fostering a society where women are given equal opportunities to thrive. In Israel, where women have already proven their mettle, the path forward must be one that actively supports their growth in every sector.
The road ahead is clear. As Israel navigates its current security, economic, and societal challenges, it is essential that women are given the platform to lead in every domain, not only for the benefit of the nation as a whole but for the collective prosperity and future of the country.
This is also an opportunity for Israel to set an example for the world, a light unto the nations. Empowering women, especially in times of crisis, isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s the smart thing to do.
The future is one where women’s voices and leadership should not be an afterthought but an integral part of the conversation.
Now, more than ever, we must ensure Israeli women are given the tools to succeed and are empowered to lead, not just as a response to crises, but as a pathway to long-term strength and stability.
The time for action is now.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-846560
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Javier Milei: Israel's Unorthodox, Eccentric, 'Loco' Uncle From Argentina
By Anat Vidor
March 19, 2025
Oh, I can’t deal with these Argentinians anymore, they who love us more than we love ourselves. And we must admit: we’re really not used to this. We’re used to being hated. Love takes us out of our comfort zone.
And we’re not talking about Micronesia, or some undeclared island between the Philippines and Mars. This is Argentina: the ninth largest country in the world, 120 times larger than Israel, with a team that won the last World Cup (on penalties admittedly, but let’s not be petty).
One of them is Javier Milei, our uncle from Argentina who doesn’t stop sending gifts. A Zionist who studies Torah, he hangs out with Chabad followers, and even considered converting to Judaism. His becoming president of Argentina more than a year ago unexpectedly created for us a Zionist brotherhood front in blue and white, which recently earned Milei the Genesis Prize – “the Jewish Nobel” – for his uncompromising support of Israel.
Israel's gifts from Argentina
With the return of the bodies of the Bibas family to Israel, Milei declared a national day of mourning in Argentina – and why just one day of mourning if it can be rounded up to two? This gesture was accompanied by a mass rally in Buenos Aires with tens of thousands of Argentinians who came to support Israel, and with a city initiative, a kind of spin-off of the first idea, to change the name of “Palestine Street” in the city to “Bibas Street”! You’ve got to see it to believe it.
For Milei, this is nothing unusual. One of his most consistent activities is to move us emotionally time after time. He stood at the UN and attacked the antisemitic organization for its one-sided policies, and for the fact that non-democratic countries give scores to others on human rights issues. He waves Israeli flags at demonstrations against Hamas, dances with Jews to the tune of “Am Yisrael Chai” (The People of Israel Live), and schemes about moving the Argentinian embassy to Jerusalem. “We are with you in your war against the forces of darkness,” he told Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, the simple and natural truth that French President Emmanuel Macron, for example, would never utter.
And yes, I know what you’ll say, there are always skeptics. Some will say he’s an eccentric president, unpredictable; in his country, some call him “El Loco” – the crazy one. He appointed his sister as “First Lady,” cloned his deceased dog into six new dogs – which he claims are his political cabinet – went wild on television panels he participated in, appeared at rock concerts, and was a soccer goalkeeper.
But you know what? That’s exactly how I want them, the world’s shapers and builders of the future – colourful, brave, original, convention-breakers, uninhibited in the race for good. That’s how I like them: lovers of Israel, honest and direct, and also unpredictable. Because hey: are we predictable? Is the world predictable?
We just celebrated Purim, the time to dress up as someone else, and this column has also taken a different direction for the occasion. So, let’s raise a cup of maté (Argentina’s national drink), say “L’chaim,” and wish us all happy times like on Purim – with lots of love for Israel, love for Argentina, and goodness in our hearts.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-846559
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Minorities Abandoned: Europe's Double Standard On Islamist Oppression In The Middle East
By Freddy Eytan
March 19, 2025
Despite the barbarity perpetrated by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and despite the massacre of Alawites in Syria, Europe – France in particular – has not changed its policy on Islamist terrorism. It remains in favor of the creation of a Palestinian state, even if the conditions are not appropriate.
The European Union’s latest joint statement in Brussels regarding the new Syrian regime, and its approval of the Arab League’s peace plan for Gaza, confirms the ambiguity of European policy. It proves that its double standard persists regarding the solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Just weeks after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Europeans rushed to meet with the new master of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa. How can we believe that this notorious jihadist would so quickly abandon Islamist terror and transform himself into a moderate head of state?
Worse still, Europeans are incapable of saving minorities in the Middle East and are abandoning Christians. They systematically condone all the horrific crimes committed by Arab dictators, such as Saddam Hussein or the Assad family, who used chemical weapons with impunity against minorities in their countries.
On the other hand, Europeans still persist in condemning Israel for daring to defend itself against its enemies and are even trying to bring its leaders to justice before an international tribunal.
Since the famous Venice Declaration adopted on June 13, 1980, the Europe of the Nine, like the Europe of the 26 today, has been hearing the same old refrain and the same moral lessons. And yet, some countries in Europe manage overseas territories thousands of kilometres from their respective capitals.
The double standard still works: When Palestinians violate international law and pay salaries to terrorists and their families, it is completely legitimate in their eyes. But when the Jewish state reacts after an attack or even builds apartments in its own capital and in a territory that remains “disputed,” it is always unanimously condemned. The Europeans get angry, threatening Israel with the recall of ambassadors and retaliation.
But we will not give in to terrorism as the Europeans systematically do. We will always be the first in the world to come to the aid of minorities in distress, such as the Druze, the Kurds, the Yazidis, or the Maronite Christians in Lebanon.
How can we not react to Islamists who promote the cult of death, sow terror, and blindly massacre the elderly, women, and children?
THIS IMMORAL, revolting behaviour is particularly manipulated by left-wing movements. How can we not demonstrate in the streets against modern-day barbarism? On the other hand, how can we blindly support the Palestinians of Hamas?
Why is there silence within feminist movements when Israeli women are raped? Why don’t environmentalists condemn the Hamas arsonists who savagely destroyed the lush plantations of kibbutzim and its flowering gardens?
Why don’t Europeans have the courage to state to the international public: We are in disarray in the face of the economic crisis. We are powerless in the face of the waves of Muslim immigration invading our countries. We fear, above all, attacks if we don’t give in to Islamist blackmail. Therefore, we have no choice but to collaborate and pursue a mercantile policy with Arab-Muslim countries.
It is clear that when Europe is weak, Islamists triumph
ISRAEL HAS been linked to Europe since the dawn of time, since the empires of Athens and Rome. Jews lived on the Old Continent long before the Inquisition and the Expulsion from Spain. A large part of the Jewish people was wiped out by European barbarians.
We are linked to European navel by history and geography and by the inseparable Mediterranean basin. We share the same democratic and Judeo-Christian values that all the extremists combined, from the Left and the Right, will never be able to erase.
In this context, we should respond with realpolitik and observe all ongoing interests discreetly and without prejudice or bias. While it is clear that the past must never be forgotten or erased, and that we must fight the scourge of antisemitism relentlessly, we must also strive for a better future.
We obtained reparations from Germany in a heartbreaking and sensitive decision. It was taken precisely to turn the page and establish fruitful diplomatic relations with the country that enabled Nazism and the Holocaust. These relations have been beneficial so far.
TO IMPROVE relations with Europe, we must carry out a complete and pragmatic review.
A pragmatic review of Israeli ties with Europe
First, Western European countries, such as France or Spain, should be separated from the formerly communist-controlled countries. Their populations are diverse and their mindsets and interests are different. They are less involved and not very interested in the Middle Eastern conflict, like France, for example.
Our ties with Central and Eastern European countries, particularly Hungary, Romania, and the Czech Republic, remain strong, as are our relations with Greece, Bulgaria, and Cyprus. This means that there is a positive trend among several European countries to strengthen their relations with Israel. This development is important and should be welcomed.
Second, a clear distinction must be made between European leaders and all officials who sit in Brussels. In recent years, Josef Borrell, the former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, has unfairly pursued an anti-Israel policy and boycott. It is unacceptable that decisive and important decisions on foreign affairs related to the Middle East and Israeli policy are not made by elected politicians.
Third, bilateral and multilateral diplomatic relations should be separated, particularly in the process of resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict. Both sides are aware that separation is important. It should be remembered that Israel is a member of the OECD. It has signed numerous agreements with each of the European countries and has strategic interests in economics, science, culture, and tourism with the EU and each member state.
Given the new geopolitical situation in the Middle East, Europe’s weakness, and the strengthening of our relations with the Trump administration, the time is ripe to relaunch a frank and sincere dialogue with European leaders.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-846510
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