Bashar al-Assad

Protestors during anti-government demonstrations in Hong Kong, July 1, 2018.

Why are ‘anti-imperialists’ defending dictators?

By echoing the narratives of repressive regimes, left-wing 'tankies' are forcing targeted activists to spend energy combating smears and disinformation.

By Joseph B. September 16, 2020

The ruins following the 2018 American-led bombing of Homs. (Fathi Nizam/CC BY 4.0)

After Syria strike, showdown looms over the future of the Iran nuclear deal

The success of a coordinated military strike on Assad’s chemical weapon stockpiles actually bodes well for the Iran nuclear deal. By Shemuel Meir Western powers made good on their warning to the Assad regime on April 14, 2018, and attacked the production and storage sites of the chemical weapons in his possession. The coordinated, wide-ranging operation by the United…

By +972 Magazine April 22, 2018

Palestinian refugees seen in Yarmouk refugee camp, Damascus, Syria. (photo: Walla Masoud/UNRWA)

The American strategic mistake in Syria no one’s talking about

For all the talk of intervention or lack of intervention, there’s one strategic error the U.S. made in Syria that nobody’s discussing — President Bill Clinton’s failure to give full American backing to an Israel-Syria peace deal when it was still possible. By Gilad Halpern The headline “A president is born” is probably being written…

By +972 Magazine April 10, 2017

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Syrian refugees march toward the border between Hungary and Serbia, September 15, 2015. (photo: Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)

What I’m doing to help the Syrian people

Read up, share information, attend protests, donate to NGOs. This is what we can do to help Syrians. By Elizabeth Tsurkov A number of people have asked me what they can do about the situation in Aleppo or Syria. My answer to them is to donate money and spread information about what is happening there. Although…

By +972 Magazine December 17, 2016

Bombed out buildings in Aleppo, Syria. December 26, 2012 (Freedom House/CC)

Syrian blood is worth no less than Palestinian blood

It is time to boycott all Palestinian leaders in Israel who support Assad’s war crimes or do not publicly take a stand against them. By Marzuq Al-Halabi There is not much left to say about Aleppo. But there is still much left to say about the campaign of destruction of the city. The disaster befalling the…

By Haokets December 17, 2016

Illustrative photo of a bombed out building in Homs, Syria (FreedomHouse/CC)

The Syria that was once an icon of enlightenment and education has been erased, crushed under barrel bombs and proxy power struggles, as the world watches and waits to see how it will all end. What, after all, have we learned from history? Run, run away all you strong and invulnerable Israelis, and all you Palestinian…

By Samah Salaime December 16, 2016

Iranian analyst: For a fair offer, Iran will compromise on its nuclear program

By Eyal Clyne (From Hebrew: Ofer Neiman) “The Iranian government is so heavily invested in the nuclear project, that if it were to give up this flag, it would mean nothing less than political suicide […] Iranian leaders have publicly chained themselves to this issue, to the extent that now it’s a matter of political…

By +972 Magazine September 15, 2012

Last man standing? Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad (Picture: Agencia Brasil)

‘100 Days in Syria’: An eyewitness account of a country imploding

By Yacov Ben Efrat In seeking the “truth” about Syria, I came across a book by Lebanese reporter Ghadi Francis, “My pen and pain: One hundred days in Syria” (Beirut: Saqi Books 2012), in Arabic. I did not find the “truth” but I did find many things which explain the outbreak of revolution in Syria, and especially its…

By +972 Magazine June 21, 2012

Israeli Amb. to UN: Assad ‘has no moral authority to govern’

In an address to the UN General Assembly on Monday, Israel’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ron Prosor, called on the international community to intervene in Syria to stop the systematic murder of civilians, breaking what has been mostly silence from Israel on the situation there. According to Prosor, “No decent human being can ignore…

By Mairav Zonszein February 15, 2012

Last man standing? Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad (Picture: Agencia Brasil)

Arab republican dictators: A dying breed

Six months ago, there were five Arab republican dictators. Now, all but Syria’s president are out or on their way, and even Assad is facing his biggest challenge since succeeding his father a decade ago The “Arab Spring” of the last six months has already swept away the dictators of Tunisia and Egypt. Libya’s ruler…

By Roi Maor April 24, 2011