In this week’s Heritage in Focus podcast, Heritage Middle East expert Jim Phillips reflects on the current unrest between Israel and Syria. To listen to the full interview, click here.
A few days ago marked the anniversary of “nakba,” or “the day of catastrophe,” for Palestinians and their Arab allies. That day is May 15, 1948: The day Israel gained its independence.
Israel’s foremost enemies, Syria, Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah, mobilized Palestinian militants recruited from refugee camps in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza to demonstrate against Israel by marching up to the border to violently attack Israeli border guards and fences. Every year protests take place, but this year was especially hostile. Protestors, chanting death to Israel, threw rocks and bottles at Israeli forces. After Palestinian aggression escalated, hundreds of Arabs burst across the border. The Israelis, in an act of self-defense, fired shots at the protestors who were charging at them.
This is a crude and transparent attempt by Syria’s brutal Assad regime to divert international attention from the bloody repression of its own people (Assad has recently murdered over 850 of his own people) by whipping up condemnation of Israel.
President Obama is slated to give a foreign policy address this Thursday. He should emphasize the need for the world to keep up heavy pressure on both Syria and Iran.
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Iran's dictatorial theocratic thugs are the bigger problem in undermining the Arab's spring. Their support of Islamist groups, along with Saudi Arabia's Wahhabi Jihad movement, is incompatible with representative democratic reforms in the gulf region. Syria's despotic survival depends on their partnership with Tehran.
David, I found it most compelling to read Kenneth Timmerman's "Shadow Warriors: The Untold Story Of Traitors, Saboteurs, And The Party Of Surrender" and realize how the Progressives in the CIA have been double dealing all along! They may have caused 3,000 additional casualties in the Iraq War when they Black PR and did Black Ops on Chalabi. He had an excellent Government ready to stand up (as agreed) ten days after Saddam's Evil Empire collapsed. It is not at all surprising to see Obama shmoozing at the CIA, he gave the Progressive Traitors cover for all of their National Security Leaks!
It is not at all improbable that the Arab Spring, Arab Awakening, whatever you call it, will result in War With Israel! All those stupid White House Union Guys, having wrecked the whole idea of Unionism in the US are 'going global' and putting small d democracy into practice in the Middle East! Anybody with two brain cells to rub together Knows that small d democracies Always Get Usurped! Listen to Glenn Beck once in a while. The Evidence is everywhere! Our Nation has been 'taken over' by a Half Vast Left Wing Conspiracy! Something truly horrible is coming in September for Israel! These election stealing frauds have set it up! It is dispicable! Treason, really, at the Highest Levels of our Government!
The elimination of Sadaam Hussein and the emergence of the new Iraq was the vernal equinox of the Arab Spring. Let's hope the Obama administration does not let this historic opportunity turn into a bleak winter of discontent.
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