Aid to Syria?
Israel is a Jewish country and Jews are known for their humanitarian instincts. Should Israel therefore set up a refugee camp on their border with Syria, just as Syria's other neighbors Turkey and Lebanon have done, in order to take in Syrian refugees? I am against such a policy. There are very good reasons why:
1. Syria of all Arab countries has been the most implacably opposed to Israel. Of all the countries where Israelis have been imprisoned, Syria treated them worse. Some were kept in cells the size of dog kennels and were forced to eat their own feces (I do not make this up). No wonder some of the Israeli prisoners exchanged in the 1960-70s were insane. Syria also has the most extreme indoctrination of all the Arab countries of hatred against all Israelis and Jews. When the other countries (Egypt, Jordan) came to terms with Israel after all the wars and signed peace treaties, Syria remained the head of the "rejectionist front." That is why until now Hamas and other extreme terrorist organizations have had their headquarters in Damascus.
2. Some people may have the mistaken impression that the opposition to the Assad regime are democrats. Far from it, they are mostly supporters of the Moslem Brotherhood, as in Egypt and N. Africa, and even though there are some true liberals and democrats among them, as in Egypt they represent a pitifully small percentage (ca. 1%). This is clearly shown by the rhetoric of the demonstrators and insurgents, for example among their favorite slogans are anti-Israel ones, including the signs that accuse Assad of being "soft on Israel." What, you might ask? But, from their pov this is clear, Bashar Assad has been in power for 14 years and not once has he attacked Israel directly. He like his father has preferred to use Lebanese proxies to attack Israel, his father used the PLO and other left-wing and nationalist groups, Bashar has used Hizbollah, the Shia militia supported by Iran. Just as the Egyptians accused Mubarak of being pro-American, because he accepted US aid, and pro-Israel, because he signed a peace treaty with Israel, so the Syrian insurgents accuse Assad of being pro-Israel. Its ludicrous, I know, but such is the twisted logic of the Arab mind.
3. Humanitarian aid can backfire. Those who give humanitarian aid expect the recipients, usually injured, usually fleeing from tanks and guns, to be grateful for the help. But, don't expect this from people who have been indoctrinated with hatred for Israel and Jews. I can think of two examples, a woman from Gaza who had been treated in an Israeli hospital was returning for treatment and was found to be wearing a suicide belt, with which she intended to kill the nurses and doctors there. I remember a case far back after the 6-day war when a wounded Syrian soldier's life was saved by the Israeli medics who amputated his legs to save his life. As he was being returned to Syria he was shouting anti-Israel slogans. This might have been for the Syrian media, after all since his life was saved by Israelis he might have been suspected of going soft on them. Among the refugees who might seek help in an Israeli medical facility there will certainly be those wearing suicide belts. Who would risk the lives of our people to help such scum.
4. Why not provide guns to the anti-Assad forces. Instead of giving suffering refugees, who hate us anyway, medical help, why not provide guns instead. However, this is not a practical tactic. For example, Israel gave armaments and training to the Christian forces (Phalangists) in Lebanon who were fighting against the Shia forces in the south. During the first Lebanon war in 1982, when Israel invaded Lebanon, the Christian forces were supposed to cooperate with the IDF. But the Phalangists double crossed the IDF and refused to cooperate. In other words once the IDF had done their job for them in the south they did not want to be seen as allies of the hated Jews. This is one reason why they went into theSabra and Shatila Palestinian refugee camps and carried out massacres, against IDF instructions. It is certain that no force in Syria would in any way actually align itself with Israel and cooperate with the IDF.
The best policy for Israel is to do nothing in Syria, let them fight it out and don't intervene. If the West or the USA want to drop humanitarian food parcels or even guns to the opposition (Free Syrian Army) forces, so be it. But, Israel should have no role whatsoever in that. Let the Syrians kill each other, and weaken their army so that they are not a threat to us, while we continue to live a civilized life here in Israel.
1. Syria of all Arab countries has been the most implacably opposed to Israel. Of all the countries where Israelis have been imprisoned, Syria treated them worse. Some were kept in cells the size of dog kennels and were forced to eat their own feces (I do not make this up). No wonder some of the Israeli prisoners exchanged in the 1960-70s were insane. Syria also has the most extreme indoctrination of all the Arab countries of hatred against all Israelis and Jews. When the other countries (Egypt, Jordan) came to terms with Israel after all the wars and signed peace treaties, Syria remained the head of the "rejectionist front." That is why until now Hamas and other extreme terrorist organizations have had their headquarters in Damascus.
2. Some people may have the mistaken impression that the opposition to the Assad regime are democrats. Far from it, they are mostly supporters of the Moslem Brotherhood, as in Egypt and N. Africa, and even though there are some true liberals and democrats among them, as in Egypt they represent a pitifully small percentage (ca. 1%). This is clearly shown by the rhetoric of the demonstrators and insurgents, for example among their favorite slogans are anti-Israel ones, including the signs that accuse Assad of being "soft on Israel." What, you might ask? But, from their pov this is clear, Bashar Assad has been in power for 14 years and not once has he attacked Israel directly. He like his father has preferred to use Lebanese proxies to attack Israel, his father used the PLO and other left-wing and nationalist groups, Bashar has used Hizbollah, the Shia militia supported by Iran. Just as the Egyptians accused Mubarak of being pro-American, because he accepted US aid, and pro-Israel, because he signed a peace treaty with Israel, so the Syrian insurgents accuse Assad of being pro-Israel. Its ludicrous, I know, but such is the twisted logic of the Arab mind.
3. Humanitarian aid can backfire. Those who give humanitarian aid expect the recipients, usually injured, usually fleeing from tanks and guns, to be grateful for the help. But, don't expect this from people who have been indoctrinated with hatred for Israel and Jews. I can think of two examples, a woman from Gaza who had been treated in an Israeli hospital was returning for treatment and was found to be wearing a suicide belt, with which she intended to kill the nurses and doctors there. I remember a case far back after the 6-day war when a wounded Syrian soldier's life was saved by the Israeli medics who amputated his legs to save his life. As he was being returned to Syria he was shouting anti-Israel slogans. This might have been for the Syrian media, after all since his life was saved by Israelis he might have been suspected of going soft on them. Among the refugees who might seek help in an Israeli medical facility there will certainly be those wearing suicide belts. Who would risk the lives of our people to help such scum.
4. Why not provide guns to the anti-Assad forces. Instead of giving suffering refugees, who hate us anyway, medical help, why not provide guns instead. However, this is not a practical tactic. For example, Israel gave armaments and training to the Christian forces (Phalangists) in Lebanon who were fighting against the Shia forces in the south. During the first Lebanon war in 1982, when Israel invaded Lebanon, the Christian forces were supposed to cooperate with the IDF. But the Phalangists double crossed the IDF and refused to cooperate. In other words once the IDF had done their job for them in the south they did not want to be seen as allies of the hated Jews. This is one reason why they went into theSabra and Shatila Palestinian refugee camps and carried out massacres, against IDF instructions. It is certain that no force in Syria would in any way actually align itself with Israel and cooperate with the IDF.
The best policy for Israel is to do nothing in Syria, let them fight it out and don't intervene. If the West or the USA want to drop humanitarian food parcels or even guns to the opposition (Free Syrian Army) forces, so be it. But, Israel should have no role whatsoever in that. Let the Syrians kill each other, and weaken their army so that they are not a threat to us, while we continue to live a civilized life here in Israel.
posted by Jack Cohen at 8:33 PM
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