Asharq al-Awsat: Are you with Israel or with Syria?

[Solomon2]

Written by : Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed
on : Tuesday, 7 May, 2013

Opinion: Are You With Israel or Syria?

There is no need to support either. When Israel attacks the Syrian regime, it is defending its security and its interests. We are willing to accept that Assad’s forces and their storage facilities have been attacked, since this helps disarm the regime and accelerate its collapse.

Only Iran’s supporters condemned the attack. They did so out of fear for Tehran’s allies, including Hezbollah and Assad—not because of their hostility towards Israel.

Two years of massacres against unarmed Syrians has unveiled the greatest lie in the history of the country—the lie of resistance and opposition. The Syrian regime has never truly been against Israel, nor has it really defended Palestine: that was pure propaganda. Only a few knew this truth, while we were seduced by the lie.

Hezbollah and its operations against Israel have no interest in protecting Lebanon or defending Palestine. It is merely an Iranian brigade that was founded more than 30 years ago in order to secure the interests of the ayatollah in Tehran. Over the years, Iran and the Assad clan, have sought to hijack the Palestinian cause in order to dominate Syria, occupy Lebanon and serve Iranian interests.

Other groups and their leaders also did this—leaders like Abu Nidal, the founder of Fatah, and Ahmad Jibril of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine–General Command, as well as assorted other figures claiming resistance against Israel. All of them aimed to confront and assassinate the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s leadership under the late president, Yasser Arafat.

Both Mohammed Mursi’s Egyptian government and Iran have essentially supported Assad by denouncing the Israeli air strikes. The stance of Mursi’s cabinet—which is biased towards Iran, and thus in turn biased towards Assad—would have been excused if it had played an effective role in supporting the Free Syrian Army.

So far, however, its public stance has been with Iran and Russia, which explicitly support Assad.

Mursi’s cabinet joined Moscow and Tehran in calling for what it referred to as a “political solution” to the Syrian crisis, and for national reconciliation between Assad’s regime and the opposition. This is not only a shameful stance but also impossible to achieve, considering the two years of slaughter and destruction carried out by Assad’s forces and his Shabiha (thugs).

Despite Egyptian and Iranian condemnation, it is certain that the Syrian people were happy that Assad’s warehouses and forces were shelled—regardless of Israel’s reasoning. The Syrians will be even happier if Turkey responds to the violations of its sovereignty and attacks the forces instead of merely issuing condemnations and statements.

Syrians are fed up with statements, which in fact anger them a lot more than they grant them hope. And they are not concerned about regional political calculations regarding who shells Assad, whether they are Israelis, Westerners or Arabs. What matters the most for them is that this war machine—publicly supported by the Russians, the Iranians and Hezbollah—be destroyed.

 

[Arabian Legend]

Written by : Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed
on : Tuesday, 7 May, 2013

Opinion: Are You With Israel or Syria?

There is no need to support either. When Israel attacks the Syrian regime, it is defending its security and its interests. We are willing to accept that Assad’s forces and their storage facilities have been attacked, since this helps disarm the regime and accelerate its collapse.

Only Iran’s supporters condemned the attack. They did so out of fear for Tehran’s allies, including Hezbollah and Assad—not because of their hostility towards Israel.

Two years of massacres against unarmed Syrians has unveiled the greatest lie in the history of the country—the lie of resistance and opposition. The Syrian regime has never truly been against Israel, nor has it really defended Palestine: that was pure propaganda. Only a few knew this truth, while we were seduced by the lie.

Hezbollah and its operations against Israel have no interest in protecting Lebanon or defending Palestine. It is merely an Iranian brigade that was founded more than 30 years ago in order to secure the interests of the ayatollah in Tehran. Over the years, Iran and the Assad clan, have sought to hijack the Palestinian cause in order to dominate Syria, occupy Lebanon and serve Iranian interests.

Other groups and their leaders also did this—leaders like Abu Nidal, the founder of Fatah, and Ahmad Jibril of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine–General Command, as well as assorted other figures claiming resistance against Israel. All of them aimed to confront and assassinate the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s leadership under the late president, Yasser Arafat.

Both Mohammed Mursi’s Egyptian government and Iran have essentially supported Assad by denouncing the Israeli air strikes. The stance of Mursi’s cabinet—which is biased towards Iran, and thus in turn biased towards Assad—would have been excused if it had played an effective role in supporting the Free Syrian Army.

So far, however, its public stance has been with Iran and Russia, which explicitly support Assad.

Mursi’s cabinet joined Moscow and Tehran in calling for what it referred to as a “political solution” to the Syrian crisis, and for national reconciliation between Assad’s regime and the opposition. This is not only a shameful stance but also impossible to achieve, considering the two years of slaughter and destruction carried out by Assad’s forces and his Shabiha (thugs).

Despite Egyptian and Iranian condemnation, it is certain that the Syrian people were happy that Assad’s warehouses and forces were shelled—regardless of Israel’s reasoning. The Syrians will be even happier if Turkey responds to the violations of its sovereignty and attacks the forces instead of merely issuing condemnations and statements.

Syrians are fed up with statements, which in fact anger them a lot more than they grant them hope. And they are not concerned about regional political calculations regarding who shells Assad, whether they are Israelis, Westerners or Arabs. What matters the most for them is that this war machine—publicly supported by the Russians, the Iranians and Hezbollah—be destroyed.

Saudi Arabia has also condemn the act and asked for UN action against Israel, Does that mean we support Assad?

 

[Solomon2]

Saudi Arabia has also condemn the act and asked for UN action against Israel, Does that mean we support Assad?

Interesting, isn't it, that Al-Rashed's opinion differs from that of the Saudi government?

 

[Arabian Legend]

Interesting, isn't it, that Al-Rashed's opinion differs from that of the Saudi government?

''don't refer me to the writer'' I want your stance on that.

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

I stand with the Syrian people

 

[Solomon2]

''don't refer me to the writer'' I want your stance on that.

Saudi Arabia has also condemn the act and asked for UN action against Israel, Does that mean we support Assad?

In theory, no - but in practice, yes. For - mostly thanks to KSA - anything bad written or said about Israel always takes precedence over anything bad written or said about an Arab regime: the Israeli pimple on the nose is to be reviled over the boils covering the entire Arabian body. Al-Rashed is an experienced media professional who knows well that this decades-old policy is now backfiring but apparently the Saudi FM/Crown Prince doesn't get it. Erdogan of Turkey is also learning this lesson now - no matter what he says bad about Assad, it's always the few words of condemnation towards Israel that makes the headlines.

Thus as a consequence of the anti-Israel fixation, no united and substantial position can be taken against Assad - which is what the Saudis and Turks really want right now. No wonder the Assad regime is eager to paint Israel (literally, on the tails of spare MiG parts) as "the enemy" rather than its own populace.

 

[Arabian Legend]

I stand with the Syrian people

We all stand by the syrian people. The OP thinks Syrian=Assad.

 

[Arabian Legend]

In theory, no - but in practice, yes. For - mostly thanks to KSA - anything bad written or said about Israel always takes precedence over anything bad written or said about an Arab regime: the Israeli pimple on the nose is to be reviled over the boils covering the entire Arabian body. Al-Rashed is an experienced media professional who knows well that this decades-old policy is now backfiring but apparently the Saudi FM/Crown Prince doesn't get it. Erdogan of Turkey is also learning this lesson now - no matter what he says bad about Assad, it's always the few words of condemnation towards Israel that makes the headlines.

Thus as a consequence of the anti-Israel fixation, no united and substantial position can be taken against Assad - which is what the Saudis and Turks really want right now. No wonder the Assad regime is eager to paint Israel (literally, on the tails of spare MiG parts) as "the enemy" rather than its own populace.

The US and Israel wants to paralyzes Syria both Assad and the FSA. Saudi Arabia will not fall into that trap and Israel must stop violating syria sovereignty. If the west is welling to bring Assad down they would have imposed a No fly-zone whether the Russian liked it or not. But they cheered the veto in return as it serves their interests, refused to supply the FSA with advanced anti-aircarft weaponry and now bombing whatever Assad has left and why now!. Assad had them for years? Simply the US doesn't want to see those missiles under FSA control and the reason; Israel security. The US knows the capability of the Mujahdeen very well. She got a taste already in afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere...........

We master the politic card very well Solomon.

 

[Battle of Kursk]

refused to supply the FSA with advanced anti-aircarft weaponry

Post Afghanistan (80's) I doubt there is anyone dumb enough to do that. At least I hope so.

As for everything else, I mostly agree with you. The west is reluctant to get involved in Syria in anyway, this can't be blamed solely on the Russian stance.

and why now!

It's not the USA, it's Israel. and it's not just now, there was another strike in January. The interest is clear, denying advanced arms to Hezbollah. The precedent set in Sudan and various cargo shipments from Iran.
now lets assume for a moment that the above assessment is correct, the question arises why should Assad send these weapons in the last few months? The answer hinges on the level of Hezbollah involvement in Syria, which got jumped up in the last several months, this is just Assad paying the bill and trying to increase Hezbollah decreasing moral.

 

[mohsen]

We all stand by the syrian people. The OP thinks Syrian=Assad.

and you think Syrian = Al-Qaeda

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

Al-Rashed is a blabbering pinhead. He's the Saudi Michael Moore to some extent LoL.

As I stated over and over again, I don't have a problem with the Israelis because of their nationality. But the issue that I have is the actions that have been executed by the Israeli regime toward the Palestinians.

What Hezbollah did to Lebanon is unforgettable. What did they come up with over the years? Other than the destruction and the severe casualties on the Lebanese side. Hezbollah is a threat to the stability of the Middle East ,not only for the Israelis but all of us. May I remind you about their terror attacks within Saudi too? It's worse than AlQedea.

In theory, no - but in practice, yes. For - mostly thanks to KSA - anything bad written or said about Israel always takes precedence over anything bad written or said about an Arab regime: the Israeli pimple on the nose is to be reviled over the boils covering the entire Arabian body. Al-Rashed is an experienced media professional who knows well that this decades-old policy is now backfiring but apparently the Saudi FM/Crown Prince doesn't get it. Erdogan of Turkey is also learning this lesson now - no matter what he says bad about Assad, it's always the few words of condemnation towards Israel that makes the headlines.

Thus as a consequence of the anti-Israel fixation, no united and substantial position can be taken against Assad - which is what the Saudis and Turks really want right now. No wonder the Assad regime is eager to paint Israel (literally, on the tails of spare MiG parts) as "the enemy" rather than its own populace.

 

[Jamaal Yelmaaz]

and you think Syrian = Al-Qaeda

10% Non Muslim Noussayries is not = Syria. We are stand by the side which represents 0f 90% Syria..

Mullahs are very capable in word games..

BTW..Shame on muslims who only consider israel atacks onto the arms depost of Baby killer Assad just the days that haundreds of innocent civil muslims massacred by Assad regime...

 

[Solomon2]

The US and Israel wants to paralyzes Syria both Assad and the FSA. Saudi Arabia will not fall into that trap and Israel must -

"Israel must" - you've already fallen into the trap Al-Rashed desperately wants to avoid: allowing Israel-hatred to put a veto on anti-Iran and anti-Assad activity.

If the Prince had chosen his path you would have accepted it, yes? Without any need to create fantasy conspiracy theories to fill in the blanks, right? Now what can be done?

 

[Solomon2]

Al-Rashed is a blabbering pinhead. He's the Saudi Michael Moore to some extent LoL.

Well...yes, I sometimes think of him the same way. But there's no denying that Al-Rashed is experienced. (As for M. Moore, he knows how to twist people - both in his movies and the public at large - to earn himself millions of dollars, all while claiming that he's "one of the little people".)

As I stated over and over again, I don't have a problem with the Israelis because of their nationality. But the issue that I have is the actions that have been executed by the Israeli regime toward the Palestinians.

I've addressed that elsewhere. What matters here is that as long as Israel-hatred comes first people will soon say no action can be done about Asad without doing or promising something about Israel. That's always backfired on Arabs in the past - and the rioters and publics of the Arab Spring have dispensed with it. Trying to bring it back now....well, you tell me, are Arabs one shared culture in different states or not? If so, it can't be long, if this approach is adhered to, before it backfires upon the Sauds themselves, yes?

May I remind you about their terror attacks within Saudi too? It's worse than AlQedea.

KSA has its own fighter-bombers it can send against Hezbo supply lines if it wishes to; UNSCR 1701 paragraph 15 doesn't limit such action to Israelis or Europeans.

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

We don't entirely agree with what the PRINCE says.

"Israel must" - you've already fallen into the trap Al-Rashed desperately wants to avoid: allowing Israel-hatred to put a veto on anti-Iran and anti-Assad activity.

If the Prince had chosen his path you would have accepted it, yes? Without any need to create fantasy conspiracy theories to fill in the blanks, right? Now what can be done?

KSA has its own fighter-bombers it can send against Hezbo supply lines if it wishes to; UNSCR 1701 paragraph 15 doesn't limit such action to Israelis or Europeans

Don't worry we pay them on the spot. Remember Imad Mughniyah?