Gransnet forums

News & politics

The Middle East - Gaza, Israel, West Bank and Syria

(67 Posts)
Whitewavemark2 Fri 25-Jul-25 11:04:56

I’ve continued the thread but sort of opened it up a bit, as Israel has also been trying to de-stable the new Syrian government by interfering in the fracas between the various religious factions in Syria.

Israel does not want a successful government in Syria for obvious reasons. I think this story might also have legs.

REKA Fri 25-Jul-25 11:09:45

I think you need to do a bit of research

Understand what is happening to the Druze. And believe me, it's far worse than Gaza.

Israel is defending the Druze.

Maremia Fri 25-Jul-25 11:14:55

'Worse than Gaza', must indeed be beyond shocking.
Yes, always happy to do research to understand a situation. Best place to start out would be?

fancythat Fri 25-Jul-25 11:15:54

Following on from my talk with Maremia at the end of the last thread, and my comment. I was agreeing with you.

All the power coming down to one person, the Leader of the US, must well put the noses out of joint of all the other powerful groups in the world - regardless of their power, influence, size and money.

Trump seems somehow, to have managed to have more power, than any US Leader before him. As well.

REKA Fri 25-Jul-25 11:17:55

Maremia

'Worse than Gaza', must indeed be beyond shocking.
Yes, always happy to do research to understand a situation. Best place to start out would be?

Hilarious.

Use your search engine maybe?

AGAA4 Fri 25-Jul-25 11:24:38

There is a Druze community in Israel and the Druze have fought alongside Israel. Israel is afraid that Syria is getting more powerful and will do what it can to stop that.
As for the situation in Syria being thought worse than genocide in Gaza
beggars belief.

Maremia Fri 25-Jul-25 11:26:30

No, not hilarious. You said it was of serious concern.
You know, I detect a pattern here. You ask folk for reading research advice, and some scorn, as if they wish to alienate you. Why do that, if you have an important issue to present?
Yes, I have had a wee rummage aroung google. Yes it is complex and I'll have to look again.
What jumped out at me, however, because of the shocking Israeli induced starvation in Gaza, was the fact the Israel is sending aid to the Druze, while denying it to the Palestinians.
What is that about???

Maremia Fri 25-Jul-25 11:28:01

Thank you AGAA4, that will help to give me a filter.

Whitewavemark2 Fri 25-Jul-25 11:28:15

Oh I think that I have tbh.

But I’m not so naive to believe that Israel is defending the Druze - a religious sect, for altruistic reasons. The Druze have a large presence in Israel, and serve in the IDF.

Both the Druze and the Syrian army have committed atrocities over the past few weeks. But I think that the reality is that Israel has continuously attacked syria for years and the latest attack on Damascus is simply a continuation of Israel’s policy of de-stabilisation.

Netanyahu personal and probably political aims are clear in this.

A former Israeli ambassador Alon Pinkas has said that this is pure opportunism on Netanyahus part. Pinkas then listed a number of reasons as to why Netanyahu sees it as in his interest to attack Syria.

Maremia Fri 25-Jul-25 11:30:46

He has learned from his previous Presidency, fancythat, and has surrounded himself with yes folk and enablers. There are no adults 'in the room'.

Maremia Fri 25-Jul-25 11:32:14

Thanks Whitewave, it is a complex problem. I will research Pinkas later.

fancythat Fri 25-Jul-25 11:36:43

I take your point. I think you are right.

fancythat Fri 25-Jul-25 11:37:07

to post 11.30am

Galaxy Fri 25-Jul-25 12:10:20

I think if you divide the world into goodies and baddies then it generally ends in disaster. So Assad = bad therefore those who overthrew him = good. But that is not the way it is playing out, something which was obvious from the outset.

Maremia Fri 25-Jul-25 14:25:19

Yes, Assad was 'bad', and it was wonderful for that brief moment in time to see the people flocking from those prisons.
So many factions will now want to forge their own way.
The new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa is certainly not a 'cleanskin'. Can't find at the moment, the name of the group with which he was associated, but it was akin to al-Qaeda.
Things haven't worked out too well yet in Iraq and Libya, since their 'strong' leaders were toppled.
And now Israel is involved in supporting its own allies there.

Oreo Fri 25-Jul-25 17:33:58

In case anyone thinks the Druze are Jewish, they aren’t.They are Muslims but Israel supports them, a good number of them live in Israel.
The Middle East is extremely complicated.

AGAA4 Fri 25-Jul-25 18:51:11

Israel supports the Druze as they fight for them.

Maremia Fri 25-Jul-25 22:02:32

At last, Israel is allowing air drops of food into Gaza!!!!!!!

Maremia Fri 25-Jul-25 22:03:05

Huge demonstration against the war in Tel Aviv.

Allira Fri 25-Jul-25 22:21:49

Oreo

In case anyone thinks the Druze are Jewish, they aren’t.They are Muslims but Israel supports them, a good number of them live in Israel.
The Middle East is extremely complicated.

The Druze religion originated from Islam and the Abrahamic faiths but they are not exactly Muslim. They are very secretive.

That's probably why they annoy other Muslim sects.
Religions? The cause of so many conflicts.

Maremia Sat 26-Jul-25 09:41:05

Weird how Israel managed to get 'aid' to the Druze in Syria, a foreign country, but don't seem able to get aid into Gaza.

Oreo Sat 26-Jul-25 09:43:13

It will be more in the way of weapons I expect.

Oreo Sat 26-Jul-25 09:45:06

Yes Allira they’re a bit of a mix but from reading it seems more Muslim than anything else.They say they have taken the best from three religions.

Maremia Sat 26-Jul-25 09:47:24

The Times of Israel says it was humanitarian aid and medical equipment.

Allira Sat 26-Jul-25 09:59:12

Maremia

Weird how Israel managed to get 'aid' to the Druze in Syria, a foreign country, but don't seem able to get aid into Gaza.

Because the Druze are their allies and Hamas is their enemy?