Reports | 25 05 2020
Nary a Syrian has not heard representatives of the Syrian regime—or has not himself mockingly repeated—the same phrase of “responding in the right time and place to Israeli attacks” oft repeated in their statements. The Israeli air force has been in the habit of daily penetrating Syrian airspace, for more than a decade now. Its bombardments have extended to a large number of military centers in Damascus’ periphery; it has managed to assassinate the Iranian cell that attempted to concentrate in areas adjacent to the Zionist entity. Its [Israel’s] message to Iran was unambiguous: It tolerates no Iranian presence on its borders. In the years following 2011, Israel bombed the military shipments headed to Lebanon’s Hezbollah. The regime has not once responded—but neither have Hezbollah and Iran; both of whom were in the habit of “bombarding” us with their fiery “resistance” rhetoric and postures.
Most Syrians were astonished when Rami Makhlouf [the maternal cousin on the Syrian regime’s President] said in 2011 that Israel’s stability is [tied to] the regime’s stability; i.e., that the regime is a necessity for Israel, and that it protects its borders. His statement also implies that the regime is protected by Israel—consequently implying that the Syrian regime would not be subjected to international pressures to step down. Israel then, rejects a change to the regime, much as it had rejected the change of the Mubarak regime as well; hence its normalization with the [Egyptian President Abdelfattah] Sisi regime. This attitude was demonstrated and crystallized during the past five years; the regime—and despite all international pressures, which we thought would cause its toppling—has emerged out of them and continues to date. The chemical weapons’ deal of 2013 with the United States is but the most striking evidence of such. Currently, the international coalition led by American forces, and comprising significant Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, fights Daesh [ISIS]; yet leaves it [the regime] in peace. The Russians forces, which have become an occupation force, defend its areas of influence and attempt with heavy firepower to repel any serious threat thereto.
What did recently raise eyebrows, however, was the military-security coordination between the Russians and the Israelis, from the Hmaimim Airport [Near Qardaha on the Mediterranean coast of] Syria. Such coordination is diametrically opposed to the principle of opposition and resistance, as well as the absence of any peace agreement between Syria and Israel! Its presence, therefore, exposes the regime’s lies regarding its purported defiance and hostility to Israel. This silence has not been unique to the regime, but also extended to both Hezbollah and Iran. The entire ideological posture of defiance and resistance has been exposed as pure fiction, whose objectives are the obfuscation of Syrians’ minds and the perpetuation of the regime—under the pretexts of restoring the Golan, Palestine and south Lebanon, and others; and for many decades to come.
The security and military coordination almost certainly comprises a provision of keeping both Iran and Hezbollah clear from any proximity to the Israeli border. Hence the Russians’ arrival into Syria constitutes a guarantee for the protection of the Israeli border as it had been since 1973—namely surpassing in its icy silence and calm even the Jordanian and Egyptian borders; even though the two countries have peace agreements with Israel.
The fact that the [Russian-backed] Syrian regime currently controls a mere 20% of the Syrian territory, actually helps justify the Russian occupation. It [the Syrian regime] continues to strike the entire Syrian territory, not to mention enjoying international protection since 2011; simultaneously aiming chiefly to protect both Israel's security as well as the security of this 20 percent. Netanyahu received a promise to the security of his colonial state, and returned smiling and optimistic from Russia vis-a-vis coordination between the two countries. Thus, the decline or even potential fall of the regime notwithstanding; the Russians have become the de facto protectors of this entity [Israel].
The idiotic proponents of “resistance” have welcomed the Russian occupation, while simultaneously ignobly maintaining their silence vis-a-vis security coordination with Israel from within Syrian territory. Coordination, in this sense, is an expression of the abolition of the concept of national sovereignty. It also offers credence to the argument that Syria has now become fully occupied; that Israel has effectively crossed the border and, in a sense, imposed its full control over the Syrian skies; and coordinates in security affairs, with a Russian guarantee!
The opposition committed an error when it failed to declares Israel an occupying force of Arab land and the Golan. The regime—through Rami Makhlouf—clearly stated that it was protecting the border [with Israel]; thereby negating all notions of defiance and resistance, effectively implementing “peace” even in the absence of a [formal] peace treaty between the two countries. The opposition also erred when it did not declare that the regime had forfeited its pretence of patriotism, and adopted the issue itself. The inter-opposition debate—severely lacking in any semblance of intelligence—remains silent about Israel; this silence was even reinforced when [known opposition leader] Kamal al-Labwani visited Israel. The few voices condemning the visit on the premise that Israel is an enemy of Syria and the Arab peoples, does not have any qualitative weight in politics. The national political situation required a categorical rejection of this visit and any talks it may have comprised; considering al-Labwani a political simpleton and forfeiter of Syrian territory, representing himself alone; as well as ejecting him from any Syrian political opposition representation.
Israel and Russia are currently coordinating to protect the regime from falling, and are working together to face those parties—farthest from Daesh and closest to Syrian patriotism—that are fighting against the regime. They may, at a later stage, turn to face the jihadist groups; but only after having liquidated the risk of nationalist groups. Israel and Russia are coordinating to stifle any possible change in the regime which fails to guarantee a secure border with Israel, or that threatens Russian interests in Syria.
This Israeli-Russian coordination necessarily comprises the approval of the regime. It no longer is independent, and its decisions are subjected to the Russian will; as it is Russia that currently protects it. Iran’s silence exposes the falsity of its purported support for the regime of “resistance;” the regime—in its aims to achieve the interests of such [Russian-Israeli] coordination—may work on excluding Iranian role which has, for the previous few years, served as a devoted supporter of the regime, yet ultimately failed in that mission.
Both the regime and its failed alliance have, following the Iranian failure and the Russian intervention, moved towards “Israelization”—namely, coordination with Israel via the Russians, and the suppression of the Syrian people; and perhaps to prevent the full exclusion of Iran and Hezbollah from Syria.
Opinion articles published do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Rozana.