The toppling of Assad's regime in Syria may be bad news for Israel

From: skynews.com.au December 9, 2024
1. Collapse of Assad regime strengthening Turkey and Israel’s hold on the region
2. The fall of Syria’s Assad regime has strengthened Turkey and Israel’s hold on the region.

but... Turkey hostile to Israel -- Enmity, Power struggle, Volatility

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has commented on the fall of the Assad Regime.
“This collapse is a direct result of our forceful action against Hezbollah and Iran – Assad’s main supporters,”
“It set off a chain reaction of all those who want to free themselves from this tyranny and its oppression.”

Erdogan made a powerplay, Turkey has become a force in the Middle-East in no-time.

From: The Guardian December 9, 2024
Hezbollah’s war with Israel left the Assad regime fatally exposed
With the fall of Damascus, Iran can no longer deny that its political and military ‘axis of resistance’ has collapsed

Hezbollah, the Shia Lebanese movement long backed by Iran in their shared fight against Israel, miscalculated in coming to Hamas’s aid in the war in Gaza by opening a front on the UN-demarcated blue line that separates the Lebanese from their Israeli neighbours.

True but...
1. Hamas still fighting and still has the Israeli hostages -- How many are alive
2. Houthis still attacking

Turkey has been underestimated IMO as a NATO member they have a crucial role in the region.

The fight for the new world order is now really on.

From: Alma Research and Education Center December 9, 2024
Who are you?

HTS “Abu Muhammad Al-Julani” the Jihadist or the Moderate Ahmed Hussein Al-Shara?

In a 2021 interview with American public broadcaster PBS, he stated that his family’s origins in Golan Heights inspired his moniker “Abu Muhammad al-Julani”.

He claims that his grandfather fled the Golan Heights in 1967 (during the Six-Day War) -- Oh, dear! another mortal enemy...

From: Haaretz December 9, 2024
A Match Made in Hell: Far-right Dutch Politician Geert Wilders and His Israeli Friends
-- Nice to have a good/true/new/dear friend while most of the old ones are deserting Israel, in their dire need

Given all of Wilders' good/true/new/dear friends in the Knesset, it is no surprise they are starting to rub off on him.

But with Israel's democracy teetering on the verge of collapse, he may want to look elsewhere for political inspiration

Like any social media influencer worth his salt, far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders announced his arrival in Tel Aviv on Sunday night with a classic "almost there photo," featuring an aerial view of his destination as seen from his plane seat.

For a caption, he chose the simple yet effective "Israel," written in Hebrew and flanked by two heart emojis.
Propaganda princess Noa Tishby would be so proud.

From: Haaretz December 9, 2024

Erdogan's Syrian Adventure Is a Dangerous Gamble for the Middle East:
The Turkish president sees the election of Donald Trump as an opportunity to improve his standing, but the Syrian arena could drag him into a broader war – which is the last thing he wants

Assad's Fall Deals a Major Blow to the Iranian Axis but Poses Challenges for Israel:
For Israel, the massive blow to the Iranian axis – the most severe it has suffered to date – is fundamentally good news
-- for now... Turkey is no friend of Israel

Syria post-Assad:
In the Rubble Left Behind by Assad, Anyone With Weapons Will Try to Decide Syria's Future

The rebels in Syria will now try to quickly establish facts on the ground and gain autonomy before someone establishes a central regime in Damascus

From: The Guardian December 10, 2024
Israel, US and Turkey launch strikes in Syria to protect interests

Bombing raids have hit sites across Syria as regional actors in the Middle East scrambled to defend their interests in the country after the sudden fall of its president, Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Moscow

Israel, Turkey and the US carried out military action as Assad’s former backers in Russia and Iran also engaged in efforts to shape a future Syria.

US: The US has struck targets associated with Islamic State in central Syria
Turkey: Turkey has attacked US-backed Kurdish forces

Turkey and Israel:
1. Turkey and Israel have sharply competing agendas
2. Turkey and Israel have already laid out what they say are their red lines regarding Syria

Iran and Russia:
The fall of Assad has removed a bastion from which Iran and Russia had exercised influence across the Arab world.
But... Apparently, they are trying / made deals with HTS

Israel:
The deployment of Israeli forces in the Golan Heights demilitarized zone and its seizing control of the Syria side of Mount Hermon

Israel's strikes on Syrian military targets with a focus on destroying “strategic weapons,” that it feared could fall into the hands of hostile forces, in light of the dramatic fall of the Assad regime, included,
1. suspected chemical weapons sites in Damascus’ Mazzeh District
2. missile arsenals
3. advanced missile storage sites
4. air defense systems
5. weapon production facilities

Benjamin Netanyahu on X:
This is a historic day for the Middle East.
The collapse of the Assad regime, the tyranny in Damascus, offers great opportunity but also is fraught with significant dangers.

We send a hand of peace to all those beyond our border in Syria: to the Druze, to the Kurds, to the Christians, and to the Muslims who want to live in peace with Israel.

Wilders ties to influential Israelis go way back. The Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) investigated Geert Wilders.
The AIVD investigation was remarkable because the service is normally reluctant to investigate a sitting politician. The risk is that a government will request to investigate other politicians, for example from the opposition. Former leaders of the security services therefore speak of an "absolute no-go".

Difficult to say what the future brings with this guy he does have a history with Al-Nusra, Al-Qaeda and ISIS, but he now has a great responsibility to ALL Syrians. The west won't allow Syria to become another Afghanistan or Iraq.

Baby Jesus in Palestinian keffiyeh in Vatican nativity scene
The Times of Israel by Lazar Berman 10 December 2024

Extracts:

• Pope Francis -- Into an ice age:
  1. “fuels an already out of control global antisemitism”
  2. “Inappropriate comments while antisemitism runs rampant in Europe” and around the world

On Saturday, Pope Francis joined Palestinian officials, to inaugurate a nativity scene, in the Vatican

• baby Jesus in a keffiyeh

The event should have been unremarkable except for one detail — baby Jesus was lying on a keffiyeh, the scarf used as a national symbol for Palestinians

Pope Francis -- Read the Bible! Read the Bible!!

Other popes might have been given the benefit of the doubt by Jewish groups involved in dialogue with the Catholic Church, citing poor planning by aides or a lapse in judgment

But for Pope Francis, the scene — which plays into contemporary narratives seeking to erase the connection between Jews and Judea, the land where Jesus was born — is part of a concerning pattern when Pope Francis speaks about Jews and Israel

Baby Jesus in Palestinian keffiyeh in Vatican nativity scene
The Times of Israel by Lazar Berman 10 December 2024

Extracts:

• Pope Francis -- Into an ice age:
  1. “fuels an already out of control global antisemitism”
  2. “Inappropriate comments while antisemitism runs rampant in Europe” and around the world

The previous month, comments by Francis emerged in which Francis called for an investigation into whether Israel was committing genocide in Gaza

The pope said in excerpts from a book “Hope Never Disappoints: Pilgrims Toward a Better World” based on interviews with the pontiff
The reaction from Israel and Jewish groups was furious

The umbrella body International Jewish Committee on Inter-religious Consultations called the claim,

Baby Jesus in Palestinian keffiyeh in Vatican nativity scene
The Times of Israel by Lazar Berman 10 December 2024

Extracts:

• Pope Francis -- Into an ice age:
  1. “fuels an already out of control global antisemitism”
  2. “Inappropriate comments while antisemitism runs rampant in Europe” and around the world

Israeli Ambassador to the Holy See, Yaron Sideman said,
The Pope’s suggestion that Israel might be guilty of genocide came after more than a year of frustration from Jewish leaders involved in dialogue with the Catholic Church

That exasperation was further compounded by the pontiff’s uneven handling of his relationship with the global Jewish community

More than a half-century later, Francis is now the third pope in a row who has described antisemitism as a sin incompatible with Christian belief and visited Israel Papal visits to synagogues are almost routine

The Church is committed to fighting antisemitism and popes insist that God’s covenant with the Jewish people was never broken

Rabbi David Rosen, former American Jewish Committee International Director of Inter-religious Affairs, said,
At the same time, areas of discord remain

Baby Jesus in Palestinian keffiyeh in Vatican nativity scene
The Times of Israel by Lazar Berman 10 December 2024

Extracts:

• Pope Francis -- Into an ice age:
  1. “fuels an already out of control global antisemitism”
  2. “Inappropriate comments while antisemitism runs rampant in Europe” and around the world

The Vatican recognized Israel in 1993 and Popes have said that they understand how central the country is to contemporary Jewish identity but the Church has not been willing to grant Israel any theological significance

Rabbi David Rosen, former American Jewish Committee International Director of Inter-religious Affairs, explained,
Pope Francis visited Auschwitz and while in Israel made the first pilgrimage by a Pope to the tomb of Zionist visionary Theodor Herzl
Pope Francis, regularly denounces antisemitism, calling it “neither human nor Christian”

However Pope Francis has been at times less careful — or perhaps less attentive — than his two predecessors when it comes to Jews and their sensitivities

Baby Jesus in Palestinian keffiyeh in Vatican nativity scene
The Times of Israel by Lazar Berman 10 December 2024

Extracts:

• Pope Francis -- Into an ice age:
  1. “fuels an already out of control global antisemitism”
  2. “Inappropriate comments while antisemitism runs rampant in Europe” and around the world

During his 2014 visit to Israel, Francis made an unscheduled stop at the concrete security barrier between Bethlehem and Jerusalem

• Bethlehem and the Warsaw Ghetto

According to his driver, they were driving by a section of the wall covered by graffiti comparing Bethlehem and the Warsaw Ghetto when the Pope asked to be let out

The image of Francis praying at that spot excited Palestinians and angered Israelis

In 2019 the pontiff was urged by experts,
Two years later, Francis told an audience,

Baby Jesus in Palestinian keffiyeh in Vatican nativity scene
The Times of Israel by Lazar Berman 10 December 2024

Extracts:

• Pope Francis -- Into an ice age:
  1. “fuels an already out of control global antisemitism”
  2. “Inappropriate comments while antisemitism runs rampant in Europe” and around the world

The Chief Rabbinate sent a letter in protest, saying,
The Vatican responded that the pope had not intended to be seen as passing judgment on the law of the Torah

Rabbi David Rosen, former American Jewish Committee International Director of Inter-religious Affairs, maintained, pointing to the pontiff’s tendency to quote New Testament passages that portray Pharisees and rabbis, in a negative light
Rosen sees a worrying pattern that he doesn’t expect to change
Rosen postulated,
That disconnect could come from the fact that, unlike his predecessors, Francis did not witness the Holocaust first hand and it did not shape his worldview as a young man

Baby Jesus in Palestinian keffiyeh in Vatican nativity scene
The Times of Israel by Lazar Berman 10 December 2024

Extracts:

• Pope Francis -- Into an ice age:
  1. “fuels an already out of control global antisemitism”
  2. “Inappropriate comments while antisemitism runs rampant in Europe” and around the world

Throughout the war in Gaza, said Saint Joseph’s University professor Philip Cunningham, Francis has been struck by its human toll
There is also a broader trend within the Catholic Church that the Pope might be reflecting, Cunningham posited

The West’s approach to the rules of war is firmly rooted in Catholic Just War Theory, which affirms the possibility of nations pursuing and winning conflicts in an ethical fashion

The understanding that war can be justified and necessary is changing in the Catholic community

Cunningham said,

Baby Jesus in Palestinian keffiyeh in Vatican nativity scene
The Times of Israel by Lazar Berman 10 December 2024

Extracts:

• Pope Francis -- Into an ice age:
  1. “fuels an already out of control global antisemitism”
  2. “Inappropriate comments while antisemitism runs rampant in Europe” and around the world

Other scholars are far more critical in their reaction to the Pope’s comments

Rabbi Eugene Korn, former academic director of the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation in Israel, posited,
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem declined to comment for the article

Baby Jesus in Palestinian keffiyeh in Vatican nativity scene
The Times of Israel by Lazar Berman 10 December 2024

Extracts:

• Pope Francis -- Into an ice age:
  1. “fuels an already out of control global antisemitism”
  2. “Inappropriate comments while antisemitism runs rampant in Europe” and around the world

Stepping backward:
Murray Watson, an expert on Catholic-Jewish relations, said that in the aftermath of the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023 Francis has tried to uphold a number of key principles, theology”

Francis has called,
1. for the war to be limited to the extent possible;
2. has stressed the dignity of all involved in the conflict, especially those most vulnerable;
3. has offered to work behind the scenes as an intermediary;
4. has pointed at an emerging “Third World War, being fought piecemeal”;
5. and has tried to do what he can to protect Palestinian Christians

The Pope has met with hostages’ families and freed hostages on multiple occasions, praying with them and telling them, he would do whatever he could, to secure the release of those held in Gaza How is that going?! Day 431

But the Pope’s statements and tweets have left Jews feeling confused at times and under attack at others

In a November 2023 call with Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, Francis reportedly said,

Baby Jesus in Palestinian keffiyeh in Vatican nativity scene
The Times of Israel by Lazar Berman 10 December 2024

Extracts:

• Pope Francis -- Into an ice age:
  1. “fuels an already out of control global antisemitism”
  2. “Inappropriate comments while antisemitism runs rampant in Europe” and around the world

The South Africa’s Chief Rabbi Waren Goldstein, said, in response,
Rome’s Chief Rabbi Dr. Riccardo di Segni voiced his “great disappointment” in the pope, warning,
Shortly after the October 7 attacks, hundreds of Jewish leaders and scholars wrote an open letter to Francis, asking the Chuch to unequivocally condemn Hamas’s attacks and to distinguish terrorism from Israel’s war on the group

It took three months for the Pope to respond in a letter that condemned antisemitism, reaffirmed the bond between the Church and Jews and stressed, — but failed to mention Hamas

German Catholic theologian Gregor Maria Hoff blasted the Pope’s response,

Baby Jesus in Palestinian keffiyeh in Vatican nativity scene
The Times of Israel by Lazar Berman 10 December 2024

Extracts:

• Pope Francis -- Into an ice age:
  1. “fuels an already out of control global antisemitism”
  2. “Inappropriate comments while antisemitism runs rampant in Europe” and around the world

Another letter from the pontiff, this one addressed to Middle East Catholics on the one-year anniversary of October 7 confounded those who care about Catholic-Jewish relations

Francis decried,
Then, quoting one of New Testament verses most often used to justify Christian antisemitism, Francis wrote that this spirit was

• The verse, John 8:44

The verse was used in children’s books in Nazi Germany and was cited by the perpetrator of the deadly attack on Pittsburgh’s "Tree of Life synagogue" on his social media profile

Villanova University professor Ethan Schwartz, wrote,
The Chief Rabbinate Council for Relations with the Catholic Church, in a letter to the pope, wrote,

Baby Jesus in Palestinian keffiyeh in Vatican nativity scene
The Times of Israel by Lazar Berman 10 December 2024

Extracts:

• Pope Francis -- Into an ice age:
  1. “fuels an already out of control global antisemitism”
  2. “Inappropriate comments while antisemitism runs rampant in Europe” and around the world

Israel’s Chief Rabbinate still has not decided on a response to Francis’s comments, according to Oded Weiner, past Director General of the Chief Rabbinate and a leader in its ties with the Holy See
Weiner added that some members of its Catholic relations council wanted to suspend relations with the Vatican

Weiner said, ”the council received news of the genocide remarks “with total bewilderment”
Saint Joseph’s University professor Philip Cunningham urged cooler heads to prevail and for the decades of Jewish-Catholic conversations to continue
According to Rabbi David Rosen, former American Jewish Committee International Director of Inter-religious Affairs that dialogue won’t end butRosen lamented,

Netherland’s Geert Wilders meets Israeli leaders
The Times of Israel 09 December 2024
Extracts:

• Netherland’s Geert Wilders meets, praises Netanyahu during whirlwind visit to Israel

These have included President Isaac Herzog, Defense Minister Israel Katz, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Energy Minister Eli Cohen and Science and Technology Minister Gila Gamliel

Hard-right Dutch political leader Geert Wilders has met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the latter’s office in Jerusalem, the Prime Minister’s Office says

Wilders tweets that he told Netanyahu
The staunchly pro-Israel politician, Wilders whose PVV party is the largest in The Netherland’s parliament and coalition, landed last night for a 36-hour visit during which Wilders has also toured the West Bank with settler leaders, visited the Knesset and met a host of public officials -- Wow! Impressive in just 36 hours

President Herzog welcomed Wilders and said,
Salute! And you're a great man, Mr. Wilders There's much Israel's so-called allies can learn from you

It's interesting that Wilders, Orban, Salvini and other right-wing nationalists in the EU are now Israel's biggest supporters of course this has also to with the threat of radical Islam in Europe.


Muslim extremism or Islamic extremism is a term that indicates a social and anti-Western political movement that is based on the values ??of Muslim fundamentalism and combines them with an extremist signature. Muslim extremism is not a fixed term and is used for both Islamist , terrorist or orthodox Islamic views inspired by Islamic principles.

Many of these Islamic reform movements that have emerged since the 1980s, such as Al Qaeda , advocate a rigorous, renewed application of the Qur'an and religious law . However, these non-clerics apply Islamic law without consulting Islamic teachers. They do not recognize the Qur'anic exegesis that has been produced by Islamic jurists over the centuries.

'Hitler' as guard and 72 forms of torture: more horror stories about Assad's prisons are coming to light
Modified: Yesterday, 14:39Yesterday, 13:39in Abroad

“Sednaya is the end of life, the end of humanity,” a former guard testified in 2017 about the Syrian prison that became a symbol of the Assad regime’s brutality. Two days after the president’s fall, the prison doors have opened and the horror stories are coming out.

Sednaya prison seen from above. "Sednaya is the end of life, the end of humanity," a former guard testified.

Sednaya prison, also known as the "human slaughterhouse," is located about 32 kilometers north of the Syrian capital Damascus. The complex is divided into two buildings: the red building, for civilians, and the white building, where officers and soldiers of the army were usually placed.

See also:

'Syrian activist who was granted asylum in the Netherlands found dead in horror cell'
According to human rights organization Amnesty International, at its "peak" approximately 20,000 people were detained at the same time.

Since the regime of President Bashar al-Assad was toppled by a jihadist rebel alliance two days ago, thousands of prisoners have been released from Sednaya. They include a former pilot who refused to bomb the city of Hama more than 40 years ago, a 3-year-old child who was held with his mother, and a teenager who had spent his entire life in prison and was filmed saying the only word he knew: “Halap,” or Aleppo.

Forced to torture each other
Survivors described being held in the dark, in freezing cells with floors covered in blood. Blankets and clothing were confiscated if prisoners dared to talk or sleep without permission. Family members were forced to torture each other or face execution. “The scenes I saw can never be erased from my memory,” said a 49-year-old who spent a year in Sednaya before being released this week. “I can’t shake the image of an elderly man covered in blood.”

Thousands of Syrians Possibly Still Trapped in 'Human Slaughterhouse': 'Hell on Earth with Nazi Torture Techniques'
Others said they were stuffed into tires and beaten until they passed out, only to wake up naked in a freezing hallway. One testified that he saw a teenager die from his injuries after 21 days, when guards doused him with gasoline and set him alight.

72 Forms of Torture
In a prison near the Mezzeh air base, southwest of Damascus, witnesses said a guard who called himself "Hitler" forced prisoners to pretend to be dogs, cats or donkeys. Those who didn't obey were beaten and tortured. One prisoner told The New York Times that 19 of his cellmates died in a single month from disease, torture or neglect.

The UK-based Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) released a report in 2019 stating that as many as 72 forms of torture were used in Assad regime prisons.

These include electrocuting genitals, burning them with oil, metal rods, gunpowder or flammable pesticides, crushing heads between a wall and a prison cell door and inserting needles or metal pins into the body. Footage released this week also shows iron presses, presumably used to break bones or execute prisoners. According to witnesses, numerous prisoners were hanged regularly.

Civil war
According to the most recent SNHR report, published in March of this year, more than 230,000 Syrians have been killed since the start of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, of whom more than 15,000 were tortured. Nearly 157,000 civilians have been arrested, after which many of them simply ‘disappeared’. 14 million inhabitants have been displaced, many of whom have fled to Europe.

Assad returned from London to take over the family dynasty mantle after his elder brother, the 'Heir' was killed 1994 in a single car, driven by him, high speed crash

From all accounts, he was moderate and started 'democratically' but reverted to his father's brutality including Sednaya prison, the "human slaughterhouse," when his sole grip on power was challenged

radical Islam in Europe and around the World
The 50odd Muslim countries never welcome or offer refuge, to their fellow Muslims
They all shut their borders real quick and keep them shut

They pour into the western countries, welcomed and looked after at the expense of the locals

The radicals enjoy everything Western and then, their anti-Western Muslim extremism -- turning against us and biting the hand that feeds them

Minority have no respect no regard for our law enforcement, our values, our way of life -- play the race card and everyone keels over

Politicians, Refugee advocates, Legal-Aid, Courts etc. Wake up!

West couldn't get rid of Assad for decades

I too reckon, toppling of Assad would not have happened, were it not for,
1. October 7, 2023
2. Hezbollah, decimated by Israel
3. Iran's “Axis of Evil” all but non-existent
4. Russia-Ukraine war

Fanning the flames Inflaming the already out of control global antisemitism rampant in Europe and around the world

• baby Jesus in Palestinian keffiyeh in Vatican nativity scene

If we did the same with what is sacred to Islam like the Quran, Prophet Muhammad, the minaret, the minbar, the ka'aba, the black stone or... even if say: the Star of David is just next to it -- fatwa will be ordered

Yet Pope Francis condoned it, in Vatican itself, letting the Politicizing of Christmas, birth of Jesus Christ Holy to us Christians

Just one of the many, many examples:
Remember the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo: 2015 Gun attack in France killing 12
President Francois Hollande said there was no doubt it had been a terrorist attack "of exceptional barbarity".

All because of its irreverent take on news and current affairs.
It was firebombed in November 2011 a day after it carried a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad.