Israel poised to intervene in Syria to save Druze

[shaayecanaan]

http://www.smh.com.au/world/israel-poised-to-intervene-in-syria-conflict-to-save-druze-20150619-ghs7la.html?skin=text-only

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a veiled threat to intervene directly in Syria's civil war, after Syrian rebels surrounded a village inhabited by members of the Druze sect close to territory occupied by Israel.

Monitors from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the village of Khadr was now surrounded by rebels, who had taken a hilltop immediately to the north.

Druze leaders in Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights warned that they might storm the frontier to save their relations, fearing a sectarian massacre.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin had earlier expressed his concern to the United States over the fate of the Druze minority in Syria, saying about 500,000 of them were under threat in the Mount Druze area of southern Syria.

Mr Netanyahu said he had given "instructions to do what is necessary" to help Syria's Druze. Israel also warned rebel groups to stay away from Khadr.

Local media reports said the government was considering establishing a buffer zone within Syrian territory for refugees - an unprecedented step after decades in which the area has been a "frozen zone".

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.661971

"At the moment, the rebels are not advancing further toward Khader. They probably know that many residents are armed and are organizing to defend their families. The warnings from Israel have also likely had an effect: By means of contacts with some of the local militias from the Syrian part of the Golan Heights – mainly in the form of transfers of wounded people to hospitals in Israel – it was made clear that Israel will not sit by idly in case of an attempt to attack and capture the village.

Nonetheless, those messages have done little to allay the fears of Israel’s Druze community. As far as they are concerned, the small distance between the rebels in the newly captured outposts and the village reflects the magnitude of the danger. Only an hour or two separate their brethren in Khader from potential massacre – a fate that minorities in Syria have already suffered at the hands of extremist Sunni groups such as the Nusra Front and Islamic State, also called ISIS or ISIL.

Nusra Front leader Abu Mohammed al-Joulani threatened recently that when his organization enters Druze villages, it will demand that the inhabitants convert to Islam. If they refuse, they will be treated according to the dictates of sharia law, he said. The message came across loud and clear to the Druze: Anyone who refuses to convert will be executed. Indeed, about 20 Druze clerics were murdered by Nusra forces in a village in northern Syria earlier this month."

****************

More on this phenomenon here:- http://www.smh.com.au/world/israel-poised-to-intervene-in-syria-conflict-to-save-druze-20150619-ghs7la.html?skin=text-only

This is a big problem for Israel's support of al-Qaida. The Druze are pretty much the only reasonably integrated Arab community in Israel and the only ones that regularly serve in the IDF.

The Druze in Syria, like all religious minorities there, have always strongly supported the regime, essentially regarding it as their only bulwark against Sunni persecution.

Currently Israel is doing its best to prevent the Syrian government and Hezbollah from seizing the sections bordering the Golan Heights. They have bombed Hezbollah and Syrian positions and have assisted al-Qaida in holding those territories to the extent reasonably possible.

The problem is that the Druze and al-Qaida are fundamentally at odds with each other. The Druze are not about to convert to Islam and al-Qaida are not prepared to meekly tolerate a bastion of pro-regime support within their territory.

The Israelis are trying to warn al-Qaida off massacring the Druze. The problem with this is that taking orders from Israel makes things even worse for al-Qaida, which is already losing the recruitment battle with Islamic State (big time). They can't be seen to be tolerating the Druze for the sake of Israel.

One interesting tidbit from the second article - Israel seems to be prepared to allow Syrian Druze refugees passage to at least some section of the Golan Heights as a safe haven.

[oberliner]

1. "This is a big problem for Israel's support of al-Qaida"

What a shocker that you actually believe Israel supports al-Qaida.

[shaayecanaan]

2. Do you deny that Israel supports al nusra

Otherwise known as al-Qaida in Syria?

[oberliner]

3. You are really good at seeing through pro-Israel propaganda

Anti-Israel propaganda, not so much.

[shaayecanaan]

5. Come on friend...

That's a bit of a gutless dodge, isn't it? Do you deny that Israel supports al Qaida in Syria or not?

[Israeli]

10. Here you go shaayecanaan......

http://972mag.com/first-do-no-harm-israel-and-the-druze-in-syria/108091/

By Rabah Halabi

Dr. Rabah Halabi is a lecturer at Tel Aviv University and at Oranim College. Among other things, he is an expert in Arab-Jewish relations and Druze affairs in Israel. This article was first published in Hebrew on Local Call. Read it here.

Of course oberliner will reject it out of hand as to him 972 is not to be trusted .

[shaayecanaan]

11. An excellent article

Israel, obviously, denies claims that it is cooperating with Jabhat al-Nusra, but the Druze in Syria insist such cooperation is taking place, and there is significant evidence supporting their claim. One example is that Jabhat al-Nusra fighters are being treated in Israeli hospitals. Another example is the situation in Khader, a Syrian Golan Heights town in the demilitarized zone separating Israel and Syria, which the Syrian army is forbidden from entering according to the cease fire agreement between the two countries. Nevertheless, Israel is not stopping Jabhat al-Nusra from operating freely there.

As Druze and as Israeli citizens, it is our obligation to demand that Israel stop this unquestionably immoral support for Jabhat al-Nusra. For the moment, the Druze do not want Israel’s help. But they are also demanding that Israel stop supporting those people who are threatening to massacre them.

Israel secretly arresting Druze who have documented contact with al-Qaida:-

http://www.richardsilverstein.com/2015/03/03/shin-bet-partially-lifts-gag-order-regarding-secretly-arrested-golani-druze/

[Israeli]

12. Israel Police arrest 9 suspects in attack on IDF ambulance carrying wounded Syrians

Five of the suspects were arrested in Majdal Shams, near the site of a lynch which left one Syrian killed; Druze oppose Israel's treatment of Syrians regardless of whether they belong to rebel organizations.

By Noa Shpigel

The Israel Police early Wednesday arrested nine suspects in two separate attacks on an Israel Defense Forces ambulance carrying wounded Syrians being treated in Israel two days ago.

Five of the suspects were arrested in the Golan village of Majdal Shams, where a mob attack on ambulance Monday night left one Syrian killed and another critically wounded. The other four are suspected in the attack earlier that day in the northern village of Horfish, which left no casualties. Both attacks was perpetrated by Druze residents of the Golan, protesting Israel's treatment of Syrians regardless of whether they belong to rebel organizations.

The suspects will be brought to court later Wednesday for an extension of their remand.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet Wednesday with the leadership of the Druze community, headed by Muafak Tarif, to discuss the crisis in the Golan following the lynch. Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, IDF Chief Gadi Eizenkot, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan and Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino are also scheduled to take part in the meeting.

The Israel Police and the Israel Defense Forces held an urgent meeting Tuesday afternoon, along with representatives of other security agencies, to decide on what actions to take to counter the possibility of further Druze attacks on wounded Syrians being treated in northern Israel.

In the first incident in Horfish on Monday, a small crowd attacked the ambulance, demanding to check whether the passengers on board belonged to a rebel organization that has been targeting Druze in the civil war in Syria. In the second incident Monday night in Majdal Shams, one Syrian rebel was killed after being attacked by a mob, and a second man was also critically wounded.

The IDF and police are preparing to mobilize forces to northern Israel to prepare for the possibility that Druze protesters will block roads, throw stones or participate in other forms of violent protest.

Source: http://www.haaretz.com/news/israel/.premium-1.662719

[Israeli]

14. Not sure if you will get this shaayecanaan........

but it made me smile ........

Haaretz Daily Cartoon - 19/6/2015

http://www.haaretz.com/daily-cartoon/1.662052

[6chars]

4. Does anyone care about Druze?

they aren't very powerful.

[shaayecanaan]

6. They serve in the idf

Traditionally, Israel will refrain from actively fighting Druze in Syria or Lebanon, even though the Druze in Lebanon and Syria generally support the regime, most of the time at least.

This was most strikingly illustrated during the war of the mountains, when Israel abandoned its Christian allies once they faced off against the Druze in the chouf region. The Druze in Israelis army made it clear that they would not tolerate any action against their fellow Druze.

[Little Tich]

7. Israel and Al Qaeda? How curious... n/t

[shaayecanaan]

8. They're looking after their interests, I suppose

In a war between Hezbollah and al-Qaida, I accept that its in Israel's interests to support al-Qaida.

Of course, in a war between Hezbollah and al-Qaida, I accept that its in the United State's interests to support Hezbollah.

[shaayecanaan]

9. Israel jails Druze for documenting contact between Israel and al-Qaida

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/04/curious-case-israel-al-nusra-facebook-spy-150420082913157.html

"When he was released from prison in 2012, he knew nothing about the internet and technology. He taught himself how to use these things, and then began documenting events taking place along the technical fence," the friend, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions, told Al Jazeera. "He would take videos and pictures of meetings between Israeli army personnel and al-Nusra Front fighters. In one recording, he documented two white buses with al-Nusra fighters coming into an Israeli army base."

Several of his videos were aired by Syrian State TV and al-Ikhbariyeh television station.

"The Israelis are trying to make this a security issue, when that's not the case. His information was always public," he said. "The Israelis are annoyed about the videos because they confirm the reports made by UNDOF."

[bemildred]

13. That's the thing about wars, they get out of hand. nt

[azurnoir]

15. apparaently not so much anymore: Druze mob’s rash attack may have doomed Syrian cousins

The brutes who lynched a wounded Syrian in cold blood near the northern Israeli village of Majdal Shams on Monday night almost certainly shot their Druze brothers across the border in the foot

Not only did the perpetrators of the act severely tarnish the image of the Druze community and weaken Jewish Israelis’ feeling of concern for members of the persecuted minority in Syria, the lynchers also likely offered Sunni extremists in the war-torn region an excuse to avenge the killing of a man who was, at least according to the Druze and the Syrian regime, a fellow Sunni fighter.

Thus the same Druze men and women in the Golan Heights and in the rest of the country who have in recent days attempted to mobilize Israeli officials to take action in order to rescue the Syrian Druze from the impending disaster and revenge killings by jihadists may have ended up encouraging the extremists to go off on their own murder sprees, thus signing a death warrant for their cousins in the Syrian Druze village of Hader.

The Syrian regime’s response to the lynching certainly won’t help either. Official publications issued by supporters of President Bashar Assad praised the mob of Golan Heights Druze residents and described their assault on the injured Syrian as “heroic.”

http://www.timesofisrael.com/druze-mobs-rash-attack-may-have-doomed-syrian-cousins/

[shaayecanaan]

16. Syria says that they were al-Nusra, Press TV says ISIL

Locals of occupied Golan confront Israeli Ambulance, kill two terrorists

SANA, 23 June 2015 (Nassr/ Mazen/ Barry) ~ Two terrorists from Jabhat al-Nusra were killed Monday when heroes of the occupied Golan confronted a Zionist ambulance which was transporting them to receive treatment at one of the Israeli entity’s hospitals.

Following the incident, locals of Majdal Shams village took to street denouncing Israeli occupation entity’s logistics and military support to armed terrorists who perpetrate crimes in Syria and providing them with medical treatment.

Israeli occupation sources confirmed the killing of the two terrorists, while Israeli forces cordoned off the area and moved out bodies of the two Al-Nusra dead terrorists.

Earlier Monday, an Israeli ambulance, transferring injured terrorists from Jabhat al-Nusra, ran over a man before fleeing towards Nahariya hospital in northern occupied Palestine after locals in Harfeesh village in al-Jaleel stopped the ambulance to search it.

The residents of the village demanded that the Israeli occupation authorities stop providing support terrorist organizations that kill innocent people in Syria.