Thursday, December 19, 2013

Palestinians in Syria

It was reported in the Jerualem Post, based on Palestinian sources, that a total of 1,807 Palestinians have been killed in the Syrian war. That is much more than have been killed by Israel in the last 20 years of incessant conflict. There are two reasons why the Palestinians have been killed, first because the Syrian Government under Pres. Bashar Assad regard the 500,000 or so Palestinians living in Syria as part of the enemy engaged in the insurrection against them. Thus, the major Yarmuk Palestinian camp near Damsascus has been under siege for 156 days and the Syrian Army is not allowing any supplies, food, medicine and water, into the camp. If Israel did this there would be major demonstrations around the world from the liberal supporters of the Palestinians. However, there is not a peep when Syrians kill Palestinians, that's acceptable.

Another source of the dead Palestinians is volunteers from Gaza and the West Bank going to Syria to fight in the ranks of the opposition forces. There are hundreds of committed fighters who are usually Sunni Islamists who oppose the Shia-based Awalekite regime of the Assads. Even though the Assads were considered the leaders of the former so-called "rejectionist front" that rejected any compromise with Israel, that was not enough, because they are also pro-Iranian and pro-Shia. Notably Hamas, the Palestinain Muslim Brotherhood, had it headquarters in Damascus for many years, but last year after the fighting intensified, the Head of Hamas in Syria Khaled Mashaal, moved his operation form Syria to Egypt, where then MB Pres Morsi was a supporter. Now, however, Morsi is going on trial in Egypt under the military regime with charges of supporting terrorism, including his ties with Hamas. This is a complex web of the Sunni-Shia historic conflict.

The consequences of the Palestinians fighting in Syria are unknown. As with many other nationals, including British Muslims of whom ca. 25 were recently documented by British government sources. They will constitute a hard-core of Islamists, who have been radicalized and militarily trained. When the Syrian conflict is over, if it ever is, then these fighters will return to their home countries and constitute another source of instability. Just as after the Afghan war with the Soviets, the al Qaeda organization sprouted from their ranks, so after the Syrian civil war, the world will be in for another round of Islamic terrorism. I hope Israel is keeping its eyes on the Palestinian vounteers in Syria, just as every western country must guard itself against its home-grown radical Islamists.

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