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Daily News Egypt
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily News Egypt
Netanyahu's Madness: Playing with Fire and Hurtling Toward Nuclear Catastrophe in Gaza
What is unfolding within the Israeli entity today can no longer be dismissed as a domestic or sovereign matter, despite the claims of its extremist government. Over just two days — May 22 and 23, 2025 — Israel has seen an extraordinary escalation across political, security, and judicial arenas. This crisis lays bare the fragility of its political system and reveals the extent of polarization and authoritarianism driven by Benjamin Netanyahu. The appointment of retired Major General David Zini as head of the General Security Service (Shin Bet) is not merely an administrative shift. It is a direct affront to the judicial establishment — long touted by Israel as a democratic pillar — and a calculated strike against its own military and security institutions. Netanyahu, now fighting for political survival rather than the security of his entity, has pushed Zini into this key role despite significant opposition from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and warnings from the Supreme Court of 'a blatant conflict of interest' and 'a flagrant violation of the law.' The Court also deemed the dismissal of former chief Ronen Bar unjustifiable. Yet Netanyahu pressed forward, exposing his disregard for the last vestiges of institutional order. Zini, born in Jerusalem in 1974, is a veteran of elite units like Sayeret Matkal and Egoz and once led the Commando Brigade. But his intelligence background is thin — raising grave concerns about the rationale for his appointment. In Israeli circles, there is little doubt that personal loyalty to Netanyahu and his family — particularly his wife, Sara — outweighed professional merit. Maariv reported Sara Netanyahu's lobbying for Zini's elevation, while journalist Shoval called the move part of a broader effort to 'domesticate' Israel's security bodies in service of a far-right agenda. The military establishment was blindsided. The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation revealed that Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi was informed just three minutes before the official announcement — a slight that underscores the civilian leadership's contempt for military protocols. Opposition figures sounded the alarm. Yair Lapid urged Zini to decline the post until a final court ruling, citing 'a dangerous conflict of interest.' Benny Gantz described the decision as 'a transgression of all red lines' and a 'threat to the rule of law.' Protests erupted in Tel Aviv and beyond, with demonstrators decrying the 'politicization of Shin Bet' and its transformation into a tool for Netanyahu and the fascist right, led by Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir. Meanwhile, a development of equally grave concern occurred in the United States. On May 23, 2025, Republican Congressman Randy Fine made incendiary remarks on Fox News, openly calling for the nuclear bombing of Gaza. He invoked the US attacks on Japan in World War II and advocated for the Palestinians' 'unconditional surrender' through nuclear force. These are not isolated outbursts. They reflect a dangerous alignment between Netanyahu's government and the US far-right, emboldened by support from powerful segments of the American Jewish lobby. This backing enables Israeli leaders to commit war crimes against Palestinian civilians under the cover of international silence. Within Israel, some political and military figures are beginning to sound the alarm. They warn that this extremist nexus — between Netanyahu and radical voices in the US Congress — could spark a catastrophe in Gaza and across the region. Congressman Fine's statement coincides with the ongoing Israeli military operation 'Gideon's Chariots,' a campaign that risks expanding into a regional war, especially if Netanyahu chooses escalation over a prisoner exchange. This is no longer a simple government-opposition standoff. It is a systemic crisis, threatening the cohesion of the Israeli entity itself. Netanyahu's goal appears to be the total monopolization of the security and judicial apparatus — turning these institutions into puppets serving his political survival. This is not an internal matter. It is a threat to regional stability and global security. Only the deluded believe that bombing Gaza or undermining Shin Bet will remain confined to Palestine. Netanyahu's recklessness — amplified by the derangement of figures like Randy Fine — risks igniting a conflagration with consequences well beyond the region. The specter of World War-level devastation looms, born from the same political madness that once drove the world into catastrophe. Silence is no longer an option. The international community — led by the United Nations Security Council and the International Criminal Court — must intervene with resolve. We must make clear: those who threaten to annihilate a nation, destabilize a region, and flirt with nuclear warfare are not legitimate political actors — they are war criminals who must be held to account. To let Netanyahu and his allies persist is to sign a global pact with chaos. The world must act now — or be complicit in what comes next. Dr. Marwa El-Shinawy – Academic and Writer
Dubai Eye
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Dubai Eye
Israel says it carried out warning strike in defence of Druze in Syria
Israel said it carried out a warning strike against an extremist group that was preparing to attack Druze in Syria, following through on its pledge to protect the minority group as violence spread in Druze areas near Damascus on Wednesday. It marked the latest Israeli strike in Syria, where Israel views the Sunni Islamists who seized power in December as a rising threat at its border and has sent troops into the southwest and vowed to protect the Druze minority. In a joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the strike had hit the "extremist group" as it prepared to continue an attack on Druze in the Syrian town of Sahnaya, just south of Damascus. "At the same time, a message was passed on to the Syrian regime - Israel expects it to act in order to prevent harm to the Druze," they said. A spokesman for Syria's interior ministry, speaking to Reuters from Sahnaya, said he had no indication that an attack had taken place. Sectarian violence erupted in the predominantly Druze area of Jaramana, near Damascus, on Tuesday between Druze and Sunni Muslim gunmen. More than a dozen people were reported killed. The violence spread to Sahnaya, another predominantly Druze area near the capital, on Wednesday. The Syrian health ministry said that 11 people were killed and others wounded there after "outlaw groups" targeted civilians and members of the state's General Security Service in Sahnaya. The violence was sparked by a voice recording cursing the Prophet Mohammad and which Sunni militants believed was made by a member of the Arab Druze minority. The Syrian Interior Ministry said on Tuesday it was investigating the origin of the recording and called for calm. The Druze adhere to a faith that is an offshoot of Islam and have followers in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. Residents of Sahnaya reported intense street fighting throughout Wednesday. "We're in extreme panic and fear because of the indiscriminate shelling, which is forcing most of us to stay totally shuttered inside our homes," said Elias Hanna, who lives on the edge of Sahnaya. "We're worried that the massacres of the coast will repeat themselves near Sahnaya against the Druze," he said. Syria's interior ministry, quoted by the state news agency, said it would strike anyone seeking to destabilize Syria "with an iron fist". The new Islamist-led leadership in Damascus has called for all arms to fall under their authority, but Druze fighters have resisted, saying Damascus has failed to guarantee their protection from hostile militants. The Israeli government reiterated its pledge to defend Syrian Druze in March after the killing of hundreds of minority Alawites in western Syria - sectarian bloodshed that was sparked by deadly attacks on government security forces and blamed by the Islamist authorities on forces loyal to ousted former President Bashar al-Assad. The violence has hardened fears among Syrian minorities about the governing Islamists, despite interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's repeated promises of inclusive governance. Israel has a small Druze community and there are also some 24,000 Druze living in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day war. Israel annexed the territory in 1981, a move that has not been recognised by most countries or the United Nations. The spiritual leader of Druze in Israel, Sheikh Muwafaq Tarif, said in a statement late on Tuesday that he was "closely monitoring" developments in Syria and had discussed them with Israel's defence minister. Israel has lobbied the United States for months to keep Syria weak and decentralized. Israel struck Syria regularly when it was governed by Assad, seeking to curb the role of his ally Iran.
NBC News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Israel says it carried out a warning strike in defense of Syria's Druze community
Israel said it carried out a warning strike against an extremist group that was preparing to attack Druze community in Syria, following through on its pledge to protect the minority group as violence spread Wednesday in Druze areas near Damascus. It marked the latest Israeli strike in Syria, where Israel views the Sunni Islamists who seized power in December as a rising threat at its border and has sent troops into the southwest, vowing to protect the Druze minority. In a joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said the strike had hit the 'extremist group' as it prepared to continue an attack on Druze in the Syrian town of Sahnaya, just south of Damascus. 'At the same time, a message was passed on to the Syrian regime — Israel expects it to act in order to prevent harm to the Druze,' they said. A spokesman for Syria's interior ministry, speaking to Reuters from Sahnaya, said he had no indication that an attack had taken place. Sectarian violence erupted in the predominantly Druze area of Jaramana, near Damascus, on Tuesday between Druze and Sunni Muslim gunmen. More than a dozen people were reported killed. The violence spread to Sahnaya, another predominantly Druze area near the capital, on Wednesday. The Syrian health ministry said that 11 people were killed and others wounded there after 'outlaw groups' targeted civilians and members of the state's General Security Service in Sahnaya. The violence was sparked by a voice recording cursing the Prophet Mohammad and which Sunni militants believed was made by a member of the Arab Druze minority. The Syrian Interior Ministry said on Tuesday it was investigating the origin of the recording and called for calm. The Druze adhere to a faith that is an offshoot of Islam and have followers in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. Residents of Sahnaya reported intense street fighting throughout Wednesday. 'We're in extreme panic and fear because of the indiscriminate shelling, which is forcing most of us to stay totally shuttered inside our homes,' said Elias Hanna, who lives on the edge of Sahnaya. 'We're worried that the massacres of the coast will repeat themselves near Sahnaya against the Druze,' he said. Syria's interior ministry, quoted by the state news agency, said it would strike anyone seeking to destabilize Syria 'with an iron fist'. The new Islamist-led leadership in Damascus has called for all arms to fall under their authority, but Druze fighters have resisted, saying Damascus has failed to guarantee their protection from hostile militants. The Israeli government reiterated its pledge to defend Syrian Druze in March after the killing of hundreds of minority Alawites in western Syria — sectarian bloodshed that was sparked by deadly attacks on government security forces and blamed by the Islamist authorities on forces loyal to ousted former President Bashar al-Assad. The violence has hardened fears among Syrian minorities about the governing Islamists, despite interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's repeated promises of inclusive governance. Israel has a small Druze community and there are also some 24,000 Druze living in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day war. Israel annexed the territory in 1981, a move that has not been recognized by most countries or the United Nations. The spiritual leader of Druze in Israel, Sheikh Muwafaq Tarif, said in a statement late on Tuesday that he was 'closely monitoring' developments in Syria and had discussed them with Israel's defense minister. Israel has lobbied the United States for months to keep Syria weak and decentralized. Israel struck Syria regularly when it was governed by Assad, seeking to curb the role of his ally Iran.
AsiaOne
30-04-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Minutes to leave: Syria's Alawites evicted from private homes at gunpoint, Asia News
DAMASCUS — Early one evening in late January, 12 masked men stormed the Damascus home of Um Hassan's family, pointed AK-47 assault rifles in their faces and ordered them to leave. When they presented ownership documents, the men arrested Um Hassan's oldest brother and said they could only have him back once they had moved out. The family surrendered the house 24 hours later and picked him up, battered and bruised, from the local General Security Service headquarters, said Um Hassan, giving only her nickname for fear of reprisals. Her family is part of Syria's minority Alawite community, an offshoot of the Shi'ite faith and the sect of former strongman Bashar al-Assad. Their story is not unique. Since Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa seized power in December, hundreds of Alawites have been forced from their private homes in Damascus by the security forces, according to Syrian officials, Alawite leaders, human rights groups and 12 people with similar accounts who spoke to Reuters. "We're definitely not talking about independent incidents. We are talking about hundreds, if not thousands, of cases of evictions," said Bassam Alahmad, executive director of human rights group Syrians for Truth and Justice (STJ). The mass evictions of Alawites from privately owned homes have not been previously reported. For more than 50 years, Assad and his father before him crushed any opposition from Syria's Sunni Muslims, who make up more than 70 per cent of the population. Alawites took many of the top positions in government and the military and ran big businesses. They now accuse supporters of Sharaa, who once ran an al Qaeda affiliate, of systematically abusing them as payback. In March, hundreds of Alawites were killed in Syria's western coastal region and sectarian violence spread to Damascus in apparent retribution for a deadly ambush on Syria's new security forces by armed Assad loyalists. Two government officials said thousands of people had been kicked out of homes in Damascus since Assad was toppled by Sharaa's rebel force, with the majority being Alawites. The officials said most resided in government housing associated with their jobs in state institutions and, since they were no longer employed, they had lost their right to stay. But hundreds more, like Um Hassan, were evicted from their privately owned homes simply because they are Alawites, Reuters interviews with multiple officials and victims show. The interior ministry, which oversees the GSS, and Sharaa's office did not respond to requests for comment. 'War spoils committee' Sharaa has vowed to pursue inclusive policies to unite a country shattered by a 14-year sectarian civil war and attract foreign investment and aid. But Alawites fear the evictions are part of systematic sectarian score settling by Syria's new rulers. An official who declined to be named at the Damascus Countryside Directorate, which is responsible for managing public services, said they had received hundreds of complaints from people who had been violently evicted. An Alawite mayor in a Damascus suburb, who also asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said in March that 250 families out of 2,000 there had been evicted. The mayor shared with Reuters a call recorded in March with someone claiming to be a member of the General Security Service (GSS), a new agency made up of rebel fighters who ousted Assad. The GSS official demanded the mayor find an empty house for a family relocating from the north. When the mayor said there were no apartments for rent, the official told him to, "empty one of those houses that belong to one of those pigs", referring to Alawites. Muslims consider pigs unclean and impure and calling someone a pig is highly offensive. According to three senior GSS officials, the new authorities have established two committees to manage properties belonging to individuals perceived to be connected to the previous regime. One committee is responsible for confiscations, the other addresses complaints, the people said. Reuters was unable to determine to what extent Sharaa was aware of how homeowners were being evicted, or whether his office had oversight of the committees. They were created as Sharaa's forces closed in on Damascus in December and were modelled on a similar entity known as the "War Spoils Committee" in his former stronghold Idlib, the GSS sources said. "These evictions will certainly change the demographics of the city, similar to the changes that Assad implemented against his opponents in Sunni areas. We are talking about the same practice, but with different victims," said Alahmad at STJ. On April 16, STJ filed a complaint with the Damascus Suburbs Directorate, calling for an end to "sectarian-motivated" property violations and the return of looted properties. Two minutes to leave Assad's father Hafez al-Assad moved Alawites from coastal areas to urban centres to help cement his powerbase. Assad set up military installations and housing units for troops and their families around Damascus, where Alawites, who were over-represented in the army, made up a significant portion of the population, according to Fabrice Balanche, a Syria expert and an associate professor at the University of Lyon 2. Balanche estimated that half a million Alawites have moved to coastal areas after being evicted from the capital, Homs, Aleppo, and other parts of Syria following Assad's fall. In the Alawite neighbourhood of Dahyet al-Assad, civil servant and mother of four Um Hussein said two armed masked men came to her privately owned home on Jan 16 and identified themselves as GSS members. The newly created GSS deployed by Sharaa seems to be an extension of the security force that ruled Idlib province, said Syria expert Joshua Landis, head of the Centre for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. The GSS now seems to be the Police, FBI, CIA and national guard, all rolled into one, he said. Um Hussein said the men gave her 24 hours grace to leave, because of her son's dependence on a wheelchair. She appealed to numerous government bodies to keep her home, and received some assurances. The next day at about 10 a.m., the men returned and gave her two minutes to leave. Um Hussein said they also confiscated a shop her family owned in the neighbourhood and were renting out. "We have been living in this house for more than 22 years. All our money and savings have been invested in it. We cannot afford to rent elsewhere," said Um Hussein. Reuters spoke with two members of the security forces at the private homes they had occupied. One had seized two houses — including Um Hussein's — after evicting the owners. Hamid Mohamed, meanwhile, said his unit had taken over four empty homes belonging to Shabiha, a notorious pro-Assad militia. He said the security forces had not seized anything that wasn't theirs and recalled angrily that his home in a Damascus suburb was destroyed during the civil war. Mohamed said he moved to the capital after Assad's fall and had nowhere else to stay. 'Transitional injustice' On February 12, the Damascus governor called on citizens who say property has been unjustly confiscated to submit complaints at directorates. Reuters visited one in March where the official who declined to be named confirmed a pattern: armed individuals evicted people without a court order, prevented them from taking their belongings - and then moved in. The majority of confiscations targeted low- to middle-income Syrians who had lost their jobs and lacked the resources to pay their way out of the situation, the sources said. Another official in another Damascus directorate said the evictions happened overnight without due process. "It's chaotic, but there is a method to the madness, which is to terrify people and to let the whole world know that Alawites are no longer (in power)," said Landis. "There is no transitional justice. There's only transitional injustice." Seven armed men came to Rafaa Mahmoud's apartment on February 20 and threatened to kill her and her Alawite family unless she handed over the keys to the property they had bought 15 years earlier, she said. Mahmoud shared a 2 minute 27 second video with Reuters showing her standing behind her door, desperately arguing with the men, who warned the family to leave by nightfall. The men, who identified themselves as state security agents, called Mahmoud and her family "infidels and pigs". When Mahmoud asked for a court order, the men replied: "We only do things verbally here." [[nid:716914]]
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Minutes to leave: Syria's Alawites evicted from private homes at gunpoint
By Amina Ismail DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Early one evening in late January, 12 masked men stormed the Damascus home of Um Hassan's family, pointed AK-47 assault rifles in their faces and ordered them to leave. When they presented ownership documents, the men arrested Um Hassan's oldest brother and said they could only have him back once they had moved out. The family surrendered the house 24 hours later and picked him up, battered and bruised, from the local General Security Service headquarters, said Um Hassan, giving only her nickname for fear of reprisals. Her family is part of Syria's minority Alawite community, an offshoot of the Shi'ite faith and the sect of former strongman Bashar al-Assad. Their story is not unique. Since Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa seized power in December, hundreds of Alawites have been forced from their private homes in Damascus by the security forces, according to Syrian officials, Alawite leaders, human rights groups and 12 people with similar accounts who spoke to Reuters. "We're definitely not talking about independent incidents. We are talking about hundreds, if not thousands, of cases of evictions," said Bassam Alahmad, executive director of human rights group Syrians for Truth and Justice (STJ). The mass evictions of Alawites from privately owned homes have not been previously reported. For more than 50 years, Assad and his father before him crushed any opposition from Syria's Sunni Muslims, who make up more than 70% of the population. Alawites took many of the top positions in government and the military and ran big businesses. They now accuse supporters of Sharaa, who once ran an al Qaeda affiliate, of systematically abusing them as payback. In March, hundreds of Alawites were killed in Syria's western coastal region and sectarian violence spread to Damascus in apparent retribution for a deadly ambush on Syria's new security forces by armed Assad loyalists. Two government officials said thousands of people had been kicked out of homes in Damascus since Assad was toppled by Sharaa's rebel force, with the majority being Alawites. The officials said most resided in government housing associated with their jobs in state institutions and, since they were no longer employed, they had lost their right to stay. But hundreds more, like Um Hassan, were evicted from their privately owned homes simply because they are Alawites, Reuters interviews with multiple officials and victims show. The interior ministry, which oversees the GSS, and Sharaa's office did not respond to requests for comment. 'WAR SPOILS COMMITTEE' Sharaa has vowed to pursue inclusive policies to unite a country shattered by a 14-year sectarian civil war and attract foreign investment and aid. But Alawites fear the evictions are part of systematic sectarian score settling by Syria's new rulers. An official who declined to be named at the Damascus Countryside Directorate, which is responsible for managing public services, said they had received hundreds of complaints from people who had been violently evicted. An Alawite mayor in a Damascus suburb, who also asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said in March that 250 families out of 2,000 there had been evicted. The mayor shared with Reuters a call recorded in March with someone claiming to be a member of the General Security Service (GSS), a new agency made up of rebel fighters who ousted Assad. The GSS official demanded the mayor find an empty house for a family relocating from the north. When the mayor said there were no apartments for rent, the official told him to, "empty one of those houses that belong to one of those pigs", referring to Alawites. Muslims consider pigs unclean and impure and calling someone a pig is highly offensive. According to three senior GSS officials, the new authorities have established two committees to manage properties belonging to individuals perceived to be connected to the previous regime. One committee is responsible for confiscations, the other addresses complaints, the people said. Reuters was unable to determine to what extent Sharaa was aware of how homeowners were being evicted, or whether his office had oversight of the committees. They were created as Sharaa's forces closed in on Damascus in December and were modelled on a similar entity known as the "War Spoils Committee" in his former stronghold Idlib, the GSS sources said. "These evictions will certainly change the demographics of the city, similar to the changes that Assad implemented against his opponents in Sunni areas. We are talking about the same practice, but with different victims," said Alahmad at STJ. On April 16, STJ filed a complaint with the Damascus Suburbs Directorate, calling for an end to "sectarian-motivated" property violations and the return of looted properties. TWO MINUTES TO LEAVE Assad's father Hafez al-Assad moved Alawites from coastal areas to urban centres to help cement his powerbase. Assad set up military installations and housing units for troops and their families around Damascus, where Alawites, who were over-represented in the army, made up a significant portion of the population, according to Fabrice Balanche, a Syria expert and an associate professor at the University of Lyon 2. Balanche estimated that half a million Alawites have moved to coastal areas after being evicted from the capital, Homs, Aleppo, and other parts of Syria following Assad's fall. In the Alawite neighbourhood of Dahyet al-Assad, civil servant and mother of four Um Hussein said two armed masked men came to her privately owned home on January 16 and identified themselves as GSS members. The newly created GSS deployed by Sharaa seems to be an extension of the security force that ruled Idlib province, said Syria expert Joshua Landis, head of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. The GSS now seems to be the Police, FBI, CIA and national guard, all rolled into one, he said. Um Hussein said the men gave her 24 hours grace to leave, because of her son's dependence on a wheelchair. She appealed to numerous government bodies to keep her home, and received some assurances. The next day at about 10 a.m., the men returned and gave her two minutes to leave. Um Hussein said they also confiscated a shop her family owned in the neighbourhood and were renting out. "We have been living in this house for more than 22 years. All our money and savings have been invested in it. We cannot afford to rent elsewhere," said Um Hussein. Reuters spoke with two members of the security forces at the private homes they had occupied. One had seized two houses - including Um Hussein's - after evicting the owners. Hamid Mohamed, meanwhile, said his unit had taken over four empty homes belonging to Shabiha, a notorious pro-Assad militia. He said the security forces had not seized anything that wasn't theirs and recalled angrily that his home in a Damascus suburb was destroyed during the civil war. Mohamed said he moved to the capital after Assad's fall and had nowhere else to stay. 'TRANSITIONAL INJUSTICE' On February 12, the Damascus governor called on citizens who say property has been unjustly confiscated to submit complaints at directorates. Reuters visited one in March where the official who declined to be named confirmed a pattern: armed individuals evicted people without a court order, prevented them from taking their belongings - and then moved in. The majority of confiscations targeted low- to middle-income Syrians who had lost their jobs and lacked the resources to pay their way out of the situation, the sources said. Another official in another Damascus directorate said the evictions happened overnight without due process. "It's chaotic, but there is a method to the madness, which is to terrify people and to let the whole world know that Alawites are no longer (in power)," said Landis. "There is no transitional justice. There's only transitional injustice." Seven armed men came to Rafaa Mahmoud's apartment on February 20 and threatened to kill her and her Alawite family unless she handed over the keys to the property they had bought 15 years earlier, she said. Mahmoud shared a 2 minute 27 second video with Reuters showing her standing behind her door, desperately arguing with the men, who warned the family to leave by nightfall. The men, who identified themselves as state security agents, called Mahmoud and her family "infidels and pigs". When Mahmoud asked for a court order, the men replied: "We only do things verbally here." (Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by David Clarke)
