Category Archives: Syria
Damascus’ Jihadist Ruler : Regional Implications
While one important governmental transition ended yesterday, having global implications, another one with regional repercussions is still ongoing, and there is a connection between the two. The new, post-Assad regime in Damascus under Ahmed al-Shara is still being organised, with simultaneous efforts being undertaken in foreign policy as well as domestic realignment. Al-Shara and his lieutenants have met with Arab and European counterparts from Berlin to Paris to Gulf capitals. Al-Shara himself changed his attire, from battle fatigues to a suit and tie. But can a Jihadi predator truly change his spots? This will probably become known only after the Trump administration unveils its Mideast policy, part of which will relate to Syria.
Joining us for the discussion: Panel:
Dr. Nir Boms : Research fellow, Moshe Dayan center , Tel Aviv University
Host : Jonathan Hessen : Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute and Host of TV7 Israel News
Analyst : Amir Oren : TV7 Editor at Large and Host of Watchmen Talk
BG (Ret.) Relik Shafir : former IAF Commander and Chief of the IDF Cyber Staff
Military deployments in Syria; Assessing the battlefield
Syria was once a proud sovereign country, hostile to the designs of stronger Arab nations such as Iraq and Egypt to gain control over it by inserting their military into its territory as part of alliances. But faced with a fight for survival, Bashar Assad invited Iranian troops, Hezbollah and other proxies and eventually the Russian military to help him gain the upper hand in the civil war. Meanwhile, American forces started operating in other parts of Syria against the Islamic State; and Turkey invaded the North in order to cordon-off the Kurdish underground. In recent months, with the war in Ukraine resetting Moscow’s focus, there have been changes in the deployments of most foreign forces in Syria. What happened and what are the projected trends?
Panel: – Host : Jonathan Hessen
– Amir Oren : Editor at Large, Host of Watchmen Talk and Powers in Play
– Dr. Nir Boms, Research fellow, Moshe Dayan center at Tel Aviv University
– LT. COL. Sarit Zehavi CEO & Founder of Alma Research & Education Center.
Regional Crisis and Regional Cooperation: Israeli Response to the Earthquake in Syria and Turkey
Israeli aid efforts to Turkey and Syria have been multifaceted after the earthquake, despite the difficult political circumstances.
On February 6th, the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria prompted an outpouring of international aid to the affected areas. Although the crisis coincided with a complex political situation in Israel—including ongoing domestic protests, escalating tensions with the Palestinians, and a newly formed government working to establish its position—Israeli aid organizations became one of the first foreign aid responders on the ground. As is sometimes the case in the Middle East, crises become a moment for countries to demonstrate a different side and even perhaps a show of unity.
While Israel has long been active in emergency disaster relief missions in various countries around the world, four aspects of these current efforts are especially noteworthy. First, they involve both official teams from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and a range of relevant Israeli NGOs working in parallel. Second, some of those NGOs are actively partnering with NGOs from other regional countries, both Turkish and Arab. Third, several of these NGOs have committed to ongoing aid efforts past the immediate rescue and relief period to facilitate long-term reconstruction. And fourth, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s public announcement that part of Israel’s humanitarian aid would be delivered inside Syria marked a new development in its relationship with its northern neighbor—although the Assad regime refused such aid, and it is consequently being provided without publicity.
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