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Syria’s Future Is Shrouded in Uncertainty; Israel Must Act Accordingly
Top rebel commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani speaks to a crowd at Ummayad Mosque in Damascus, after Syrian rebels announced that they have ousted President Bashar al-Assad, Syria, Dec. 8, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano
Horrifying images recur daily on the streets of Damascus: Syrian families knocking on the doors of prisons and government offices, clutching faded photographs of loved ones who have disappeared. The Assad family dictatorship, much like the dark regimes of Pol Pot in Cambodia, Stalin in the Soviet Union, and the Junta in Argentina, has not only made people vanish, but also sought to erase their very existence.
For years, families have received conflicting answers and faced a system that both alienated them and exploited their despair. This is the grim reality of today’s Syria — a country that unraveled under the rule of the Assad regime.
Modern Syria was born from the mandate system established after the First World War. Under French rule, there was an attempt to divide the country into separate ethnic regions: Jabal al-Druze for the Druze, Damascus and Aleppo for Sunni Arabs, Latakia for the Alawite minority, and Alexandretta in the north for the Turkmen minority. However, this attempt failed, and in 1946, Syria emerged as a one unit state.
The profound hostility and instability in Syria stems from the lack of a unifying element among the diverse ethnic groups that make up this fragmented country. This fate is shared by other regional states like Lebanon, Iraq, and Libya. Since gaining independence in the 20th century, Syria has been characterized by political instability, military coups, and three failed wars against Israel. The significant turning point occurred in 1963 when the Ba’ath Party rose to power, paving the way for the Assad family’s ascent.
The Assad regime, both under Hafez and Bashar, relied on a combination of internal suppression and maneuvering between regional and international powers. Bashar al-Assad, initially seen as the West’s hope due to his ophthalmology training in Britain, continued his father’s legacy of repression but failed to maintain effective control over the country’s territories. Under his rule, Syria essentially fragmented into zones controlled by various forces, including ISIS, Turkey, and Russia.
The Syrian civil war exposed the hypocrisy of the international community. While crimes against humanity — including disappearances, mass killings, and chemical weapon use — occurred daily, the global response was minimal at best.
In contrast to the widespread protests seen when Israel is involved in conflicts, Syria’s tragedy received little attention on US campuses and in global media. The West chose not to intervene, even when ISIS took control of nearly half the country, responding only after the public executions of Western civilians began.
The rise of a new regime in Syria, led by figures with clear ties to Al-Qaeda, presents new challenges for Israel. Various declarations of a “new chapter” have garnered support in the West, but is this the reality on the ground? Wasn’t this also the Western perception when Erdogan rose to power in Turkey?
The Israeli capture of the Syrian side of Mount Hermon and the destruction of most of Syria’s military power were condemned at the UN, but met with surprising silence from Syria’s new leadership — a phenomenon that perhaps indicates greater antisemitism within the United Nations than in Syria’s new regime.
For Israel, it is imperative to remain vigilant while refraining from supporting any side in Syria’s internal conflicts. We must remember that we are not part of the Sunni-Shiite struggle. We are Jews. If the new administration in Damascus is genuinely seeking peace, let al-Joulani or any other leader commit to the following conditions:
- Public recognition of the State of Israel.
- An unequivocal and public renunciation of Syria’s claim to the Golan Heights.
- The return of Israeli spy Eli Cohen’s remains.
- Information on the fate of all IDF soldiers missing on the Syrian front.
As long as these conditions remain unmet, Israel must continue to live by its sword and maintain its military strength on the northern front. Only this firm stance, coupled with a willingness for dialogue under the right conditions, will secure the state’s security interests against Syria, whose future, as it has been since its inception, remains shrouded in uncertainty.
Itamar Tzur is an academic and writer specializing in Middle Eastern history, politics, and culture, holding honors degrees in Jewish History and Middle Eastern Studies.
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Striking Some 35 Hamas Targets, IDF Says It Ramps Up Activity in Beit Hanoun Area
Troops from the IDF’s 98th Division operating in Jabalia, the northern Gaza Strip, May 2024. Photo: Israel Defense Forces.
i24 News – The IDF is conducting strikes against targets of the Hamas terror group in the area of Beit Hanoun on the northeast edge of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said.
A short while ago, dozens of IAF fighter jets struck over 35 Hamas terror targets in the area.
Among the targets struck was underground Hamas terrorist infrastructure in the area.
Earlier this week the military said that the Givati Brigade’s combat team has joined the 99th Division and launched an operation to encircle Beit Hanoun.
“The forces are operating to eliminate terrorists and to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and Hamas’ military capabilities in the area,” the IDF statement read.
According to the IDF, a significant number of Hamas terrorists remain above and below ground in Beit Hanoun, conducting guerrilla activities and artillery strikes against IDF personnel.
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Harvard Faculty Oppose Deal With Trump, Distancing From Hamas Apologists: Crimson Poll
Harvard University president Alan Garber attending the 373rd Commencement Exercises at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, May 23, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Brian Snyder
A recently published Harvard Crimson poll of over 1,400 Harvard faculty revealed sweeping opposition to interim university President Alan Garber’s efforts to strike a deal with the federal government to restore $3 billion in research grants and contracts it froze during the first 100 days of the second Trump administration.
In the survey, conducted from April 23 to May 12, 71 percent of arts and sciences faculty oppose negotiating a settlement with the administration, which may include concessions conservatives have long sought from elite higher education, such as meritocratic admissions, viewpoint diversity, and severe disciplinary sanctions imposed on students who stage unauthorized protests that disrupt academic life.
Additionally, 64 percent “strongly disagree” with shuttering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, 73 percent oppose rejecting foreign applicants who hold anti-American beliefs which are “hostile to the American values and institutions inscribed in the US Constitution and Declaration of Independence,” and 70 percent strongly disagree with revoking school recognition from pro-Hamas groups such as the Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC).
“More than 98 percent of faculty who responded to the survey supported the university’s decision to sue the White House,” The Crimson reported. “The same percentage backed Harvard’s public rejection of the sweeping conditions that the administration set for maintaining the funds — terms that included external audits of Harvard’s hiring practices and the disciplining of student protesters.”
Alyza Lewin of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law told The Algemeiner that the poll results indicate that Harvard University will continue to struggle to address campus antisemitism on campus, as there is now data showing that its faculty reject the notion of excising intellectualized antisemitism from the university.
“If you, for example, have faculty teaching courses that are regularly denying that the Jews are a people and erasing the Jewish people’s history in the land of Israel, that’s going to undermine your efforts to address the antisemitism on your campus,” Lewin explained. “When Israel is being treated as the ‘collective Jew,’ when the conversation is not about Israel’s policies, when the criticism is not what the [International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism] would call criticism of Israel similar to that against any other country, they have to understand that it is the demonization, delegitimization, and applying a double standard to Jews as individuals or to Israel.”
She added, “Faculty must recognize … the demonization, vilification, the shunning, and the marginalizing of Israelis, Jews, and Zionists, when it happens, as violations of the anti-discrimination policies they are legally and contractually obligated to observe.”
The Crimson survey results were published amid reports that Garber was working to reach a deal with the Trump administration that is palatable to all interested parties, including the university’s left-wing social milieu.
According to a June 26 report published by The Crimson, Garber held a phone call with major donors in which he “confirmed in response to a question from [Harvard Corporation Fellow David M. Rubenstein] that talks had resumed” but “declined to share specifics of how Harvard expected to settle with the White House.”
On June 30, the Trump administration issued Harvard a “notice of violation” of civil rights law following an investigation which examined how it responded to dozens of antisemitic incidents reported by Jewish students since the 2023-2024 academic year.
The correspondence, sent by the Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, charged that Harvard willfully exposed Jewish students to a torrent of racist and antisemitic abuse following the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre, which precipitated a surge in anti-Zionist activity on the campus, both in the classroom and out of it.
“Failure to institute adequate changes immediately will result in the loss of all federal financial resources and continue to affect Harvard’s relationship with the federal government,” wrote the four federal officials comprising the multiagency Task Force. “Harvard may of course continue to operate free of federal privileges, and perhaps such an opportunity will spur a commitment to excellence that will help Harvard thrive once again.”
The Trump administration ratcheted up pressure on Harvard again on Wednesday, reporting the institution to its accreditor for alleged civil rights violations resulting from its weak response to reports of antisemitic bullying, discrimination, and harassment following the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre.
Citing Harvard’s failure to treat antisemitism as seriously as it treated other forms of hatred in the past, The US Department of Educationthe called on the New England Commission of Higher Education to review and, potentially, revoke its accreditation — a designation which qualifies Harvard for federal funding and attests to the quality of the educational services its provides.
“Accrediting bodies play a significant role in preserving academic integrity and a campus culture conducive to truth seeking and learning,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “Part of that is ensuring students are safe on campus and abiding by federal laws that guarantee educational opportunities to all students. By allowing anti-Semitic harassment and discrimination to persist unchecked on its campus, Harvard University has failed in its obligation to students, educators, and American taxpayers.”
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
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Balancing Act: Lebanese President Aoun Affirms Hope for Peace with Israel, Balks At Normalization
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun attends a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday carefully affirmed his country’s desire for peace with Israel while cautioning that Beirut is not ready to normalize relations with its southern neighbor.
Aoun called for a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, according to a statement from his office, while reaffirming his government’s efforts to uphold a state monopoly on arms amid mounting international pressure on the Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah to disarm.
“The decision to restrict arms is final and there is no turning back on it,” Aoun said.
The Lebanese leader drew a clear distinction between pursuing peace and establishing formal normalization in his country’s relationship with the Jewish state.
“Peace is the lack of a state of war, and this is what matters to us in Lebanon at the moment,” Aoun said in a statement. “As for the issue of normalization, it is not currently part of Lebanese foreign policy.”
Aoun’s latest comments come after Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar expressed interest last month in normalizing ties with Lebanon and Syria — an effort Jerusalem says cannot proceed until Hezbollah is fully disarmed.
Earlier this week, Aoun sent his government’s response to a US-backed disarmament proposal as Washington and Jerusalem increased pressure on Lebanon to neutralize the terror group.
While the details remain confidential, US Special Envoy Thomas Barrack said he was “unbelievably satisfied” with their response.
This latest proposal, presented to Lebanese officials during Barrack’s visit on June 19, calls for Hezbollah to be fully disarmed within four months in exchange for Israel halting airstrikes and withdrawing troops from its five occupied posts in southern Lebanon.
However, Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem vowed in a televised speech to keep the group’s weapons, rejecting Washington’s disarmament proposal.
“How can you expect us not to stand firm while the Israeli enemy continues its aggression, continues to occupy the five points, and continues to enter our territories and kill?” said Qassem, who succeeded longtime terrorist leader Hassan Nasrallah after Israel killed him last year.
“We will not be part of legitimizing the occupation in Lebanon and the region,” the terrorist leader continued. “We will not accept normalization [with Israel].”
Last fall, Israel decimated Hezbollah’s leadership and military capabilities with an air and ground offensive, following the group’s attacks on Jerusalem — which they claimed were a show of solidarity with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas amid the war in Gaza.
In November, Lebanon and Israel reached a US-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended a year of fighting between the Jewish state and Hezbollah.
Under the agreement, Israel was given 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon, allowing the Lebanese army and UN forces to take over security as Hezbollah disarms and moves away from Israel’s northern border.
However, Israel maintained troops at several posts in southern Lebanon beyond the ceasefire deadline, as its leaders aimed to reassure northern residents that it was safe to return home.
Jerusalem has continued carrying out strikes targeting remaining Hezbollah activity, with Israeli leaders accusing the group of maintaining combat infrastructure, including rocket launchers — calling this “blatant violations of understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
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