Syrian-American Jews visit Damascus synagogue

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Updated 29 April 2025
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Syrian-American Jews visit Damascus synagogue

Syrian-American Jews visit Damascus synagogue
  • Visiting Rabbi Henry Hamra led prayers at the Faranj synagogue in Damascus’s Old City
  • On a recent visit to New York, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani met with members of the Syrian Jewish community

DAMASCUS: A group of Syrian-American Jews prayed in a synagogue in Damascus on Tuesday, an AFP photographer reported, the latest such visit following the fall of longtime ruler Bashar Assad.
The trip comes after local community leader Bakhour Chamntoub said unknown assailants broke into and desecrated the tomb of a 17th-century rabbi in Damascus last week.
Visiting Rabbi Henry Hamra led prayers at the Faranj synagogue in Damascus’s Old City.
His father Yusuf Hamra was reportedly the last rabbi to leave Syria, one of thousands of members of the Jewish community to depart in the 1990s.
They had both visited from the United States in February.
Victor Kamil, a Syrian Jew from New York, said the latest trip sought to “prepare the synagogues, to prepare the community here for people at least to start visiting,” expressing hope that an improvement in the situation in Syria would encourage returns.
“We are very proud Syrian Jews — our kids know we are very proud and they will definitely love this heritage and this history,” he added.
Syria’s centuries-old Jewish community was able to practice their religion under former president Hafez Assad, but the strongman prevented them from leaving the country until 1992.
After that, their numbers plummeted from around 5,000 at the time to just a handful now.
On Monday, the group prayed at the Damascus tomb of 17th-century Rabbi Chaim Vital, Kamil said.
Community leader Chamntoub said Friday that unidentified individuals “dug up the ground next to the grave in search of antiquities,” adding that local authorities had inspected the site and vowed to find those responsible.
The Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States said over the weekend it was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the desecration.
“We urgently call on the Syrian government to immediately secure Jewish holy sites, synagogues and cemeteries and ensure their safety” and security, the statement added.
Kamil said that “we are trying to figure out if... the bones of the rabbi were touched or moved,” adding that the incident would not affect the importance of the site.
After Islamist-led forces overthrew Assad in December, the new authorities have sought to reassure minorities that they will be protected.
But last month saw sectarian massacres on the Alawite coast, and tensions were high on Tuesday after deadly sectarian clashes in a Damascus suburb.
On a recent visit to New York, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani met with members of the Syrian Jewish community, discussing “the importance of strengthening bridges of communication and understanding,” Syrian state news agency SANA said.


How Israel’s forced school closures are placing Palestinian students in limbo

How Israel’s forced school closures are placing Palestinian students in limbo
Updated 8 sec ago
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How Israel’s forced school closures are placing Palestinian students in limbo

How Israel’s forced school closures are placing Palestinian students in limbo
  • Closure of UN-run schools in East Jerusalem draws international condemnation, raised fears of wider educational collapse
  • With checkpoints, closures and raids multiplying, nearly 800 Palestinian students have lost access to their schools, sparking alarm

LONDON: On May 8, the last bell rang for hundreds of Palestinian schoolchildren in East Jerusalem. Israeli forces raided and forcibly closed three UN-run facilities in the Shuafat refugee camp, leaving 550 students in limbo just weeks before the academic year’s end.

The UN Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, said Israeli forces were also stationed that morning outside three additional schools it operates. Teachers dismissed 250 students early for their safety.

Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA commissioner-general, slammed the raids and forced school closures as “a blatant disregard of international law.”

“By enforcing closure orders issued last month, the Israeli authorities are denying Palestinian children their basic right to learn,” he wrote on the social platform X. “UNRWA schools must continue to be open to safeguard an entire generation of children.”

The closures follow similar incidents last month, when Israeli officials, backed by armed police, raided six schools and issued 30-day closure orders. The actions are part of a broader push to enforce new Israeli laws banning UNRWA operations in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

“Roughly four weeks ago we received notifications from the Israeli Ministry of Education that the three schools we operate in Shuafat refugee camp and another three schools we operate inside East Jerusalem shall be closed,” said Roland Friedrich, director of UNRWA Affairs for the West Bank.

He told UN News that students enrolled in the shuttered institutions “have no adequate access to education beyond these schools.”

“This is very concerning for the children, for their families, and it comes while the school year is still ongoing,” he added. “This is unprecedented. It’s a grave threat to the rights of those children.”

The Israeli Ministry of Education said it was closing the schools because they were operating without a license.

The enforcement orders that took effect May 8 have now left more than 800 Palestinian children, ages six to 15, without access to education. “Now, nearly 800 girls and boys — some as young as six years old — are left in shock and trauma,” Lazzarini wrote.

In late January, two Israeli laws banning UNRWA in the occupied Palestinian territories took effect. While implementation was initially slow, the second half of February saw the first moves to forcibly close several agency facilities in East Jerusalem.

For children whose schools were forcibly closed, the affected classrooms were more than just places of learning — they were sanctuaries in the midst of conflict and uncertainty.

“When we see school closures in places like the West Bank, it not only means that children are missing out on their right to learn, but they are also being stripped of a sense of security and normalcy,” said Alexandra Saieh, head of humanitarian policy and advocacy at Save the Children International.

“It also helps them in terms of their long-term physical and mental wellbeing,” she told Arab News. “It improves future prospects, and it also ensures that Palestinian society continues to prosper.

“So, when children miss out on schooling, it impacts future generations of Palestinians.”

The Israeli Ministry of Education said earlier it would place the students affected by the closures into other Jerusalem schools.

Parents, teachers and administrators say closing the main schools in East Jerusalem will force their children to go through crowded and dangerous checkpoints daily, and some do not have the correct permits to pass through.

Now, with the threat of broader closures looming over nearly 50,000 Palestinian refugee students in the West Bank, the future of their education — and childhood — hangs in the balance.

The Israeli government’s opposition to UNRWA predates this year’s legislative changes. Officials have long criticized the agency’s school curriculum, accusing it of promoting incitement, and have objected to its continued recognition of refugee status for Palestinians displaced during the 1948 war.

Tensions escalated after the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel alleged that around 10 percent of UNRWA staff in Gaza, or about 1,200 individuals, were affiliated with Palestinian militant groups involved in the assault, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

UNRWA, however, has strongly denied the accusations, saying it has not received any supporting evidence from Israel or any UN member state.

A series of investigations found some “neutrality-related issues” at UNRWA, but stressed Israel had not provided conclusive evidence for its main allegation. It also said last August that nine staff working for UNRWA would be dismissed because they may have been involved in the attacks.

Saieh said Palestinian children’s right to education is “under siege, not just in Gaza, of course, where we’ve seen a total destruction of the education system, including the destruction of schools, the killing of both teachers and students, but also in the West Bank.”

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have either entirely or partially destroyed almost all school buildings by July 2024, according to the Occupied Palestinian Territory Education Cluster.

IN NUMBERS

50k+ Refugee children in occupied Palestinian territories who go to UN schools.

96 UNRWA schools in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in total.

As of August 2024, OCHA reports figures from Gaza’s health authorities that identify these attacks have killed 10,627 children and 411 teachers. But until today, the Israeli onslaught has killed at least 52,800 Palestinians in Gaza, more than 17,000 of them children, according to the local Education Ministry.

While the closure of schools in East Jerusalem before the academic year’s end is unprecedented, disruptions to education in the West Bank have been a regular part of life for decades.

In the West Bank, Saieh highlighted that Palestinian children’s access to education is “under continued threat of disruption due to Israeli military operations, and, of course, the threats that UNRWA faces due to an Israeli government ban on its ability to work in many places, including in refugee camps.”

She noted that “students and teachers are often blocked from reaching their schools by constant movement restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities through the proliferation of checkpoints across the West Bank and other roadblocks as well as violence.”

These daily obstacles, Saieh said, take a heavy psychological toll on students and educators alike.

“In parts of the West Bank, especially where there are checkpoints and roadblocks, there is a great deal of fear, anxiety, and stress associated with the journey to and from school — affecting both children and teachers,” she said.

The impact, she added, extends beyond missed classroom time. Disruptions not only erode children’s emotional well-being and sense of safety, but also impacts “their ability to learn in the future” and “their relationships with families and teachers.”

Citing data from the Education Cluster in the West Bank, Saieh noted that from October 2023 to March 2024, children in some areas were forced to reduce in-person school attendance to merely two days a week due to escalating insecurity and access restrictions.

In September last year, the Education Cluster and the West Bank Protection Consortium raised alarm over a Sept. 16 Israeli settler attack on the Arab Al-Kaabneh Basic School in Al-Muarrajat, northwest of Jericho.

“In the first three months of this year, we’ve seen attacks by Israeli forces and settlers on education rise significantly,” Saieh said, warning that such incidents “deepen barriers to safe education for children.”

She added that the Palestinian Ministry of Education has documented thousands of Israeli attacks on schools over the past year. 

“These attacks include breaking into schools, smashing windows, desks, electronic devices, the use of firearms in the vicinity of schools, the detention of students and staff, and delaying and harassing students and teachers on the way to work,” she said.

Similarly, teachers are not immune to the rising tensions. “Teachers often face immense obstacles just getting to the classroom,” Saieh said. “We know that teachers have been often blocked from reaching schools due to Israeli movement restrictions and violence, so they are also under threat.”

She emphasized that Israeli military raids near schools, settler violence, and the destruction of educational infrastructure all hinder teachers’ ability to do their jobs. “We’ve seen teachers alongside students being subjected to violence as well.”

On top of these security threats, many educators face financial hardship. Saieh noted that many Palestinian teachers are not receiving full salaries, making it difficult to retain staff and provide consistent education in the occupied Palestinian territories.

These challenges unfold in a broader context of ongoing occupation. Israel occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. In 1980, it annexed East Jerusalem — a move not recognized by most of the international community — and considers the entire city its capital.

Palestinians, however, view East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state.

Today, about 230,000 Israeli settlers live in East Jerusalem alongside some 390,000 Palestinians.

Most of the international community considers Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank illegal under international law, a stance supported by a recent advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice. Israel rejects this interpretation.

On May 2, the ICJ concluded public hearings on Israel’s legal responsibilities toward allowing UN agencies and humanitarian groups to operate in the occupied Palestinian territories. A formal opinion, requested by the UN General Assembly in December, is expected after several months of deliberation.

This ongoing tension is reflected in Israel’s recent closure of UN-run schools in East Jerusalem, a move that has drawn condemnation from the international community.

The British Consulate in Jerusalem, in a statement on X, said the UK, Belgium, Denmark, the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Turkiye, and others “strongly oppose the closure orders issued against six UNRWA schools in East Jerusalem.”

Noting that “UNRWA has operated in East Jerusalem under its UN General Assembly mandate since 1950,” the consulate stressed that “Israel is obliged under international humanitarian law to facilitate the proper working of all institutions devoted to the education of children.”

“Education is a right, not a privilege,” the consulate added in its statement. “Palestinian children, like all children, deserve safe, uninterrupted access to school. We stand in solidarity with students, parents, and teachers.”

Saieh of Save the Children called on the international community to protect UNRWA.

“UNRWA provides critical education services to Palestinian children in the West Bank,” she said. “UNRWA schools are critical for children’s learning, and ensuring that UNRWA is able to continue to operate is essential to ensuring that children are able to continue to learn.”

She also highlighted the deep desire of Palestinian children to attend school. “Palestinian children want to go to school. We hear this consistently from the children we work with across the occupied Palestinian territories.”

Saieh further stressed the value Palestinians place on education. “Palestinian society, as a whole, highly values education. Historically, Palestinians have had some of the highest literacy rates globally, and they continue to prioritize sending their children to school.”


 

 


Morocco to reopen embassy in Syria after Assad fall

Morocco to reopen embassy in Syria after Assad fall
Updated 51 min 37 sec ago
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Morocco to reopen embassy in Syria after Assad fall

Morocco to reopen embassy in Syria after Assad fall
  • The letter said Morocco backed the Syrian people “in their quest for freedom, security, and stability“
  • Rabat severed diplomatic ties with Damascus in 2012

RABAT: Morocco said Saturday it will reopen its embassy Damascus, closed since 2012, signalling renewed support for Syria after the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar Assad.

The decision was announced in a letter from King Mohammed VI to Syria’s interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, read by the Moroccan foreign minister at an Arab League summit in Baghdad.

The letter said Morocco backed the Syrian people “in their quest for freedom, security, and stability.”

Rabat severed diplomatic ties with Damascus in 2012 amid the Syrian civil war, which began in 2011 after Assad’s violent crackdown on anti-government protests.

Assad was toppled in December in a swift offensive by Islamist-led rebels. The 13-year civil war killed more than 500,000 people and displaced millions.


Israel plans to force Gazans into 3 security zones, leaked map shows

Israel plans to force Gazans into 3 security zones, leaked map shows
Updated 17 May 2025
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Israel plans to force Gazans into 3 security zones, leaked map shows

Israel plans to force Gazans into 3 security zones, leaked map shows
  • Enclave to be divided by IDF areas if ceasefire talks with Hamas fail
  • Palestinian civilians will be forbidden from traveling freely across Gaza

LONDON: Israel is planning to force Palestinians in Gaza into three security zones separated by four military-occupied areas if a ceasefire with Hamas is not reached in the coming days.

A map of the plan was leaked by diplomats and seen by the Sunday Times. It shows four Israeli military zones in the north, center and south of the Gaza Strip, with three civilian areas in between.

It is understood that civilians will be forbidden from traveling between each area without permission, while goods will undergo security screening.

Humanitarian distribution companies said the restrictions would separate Palestinians from their land and homes, and prevent them from moving throughout the enclave.

An Israeli military spokesman declined to confirm or deny the plan — entitled “Stage three: the complete takeover of Gaza” — when asked by the Sunday Times.

According to the plan, a military corridor will be constructed north of Khan Younis, modeled on the existing Netzarim Corridor south of Gaza City.

Sources said Israeli bulldozers will begin to empty land from the area ahead of construction. The corridor will separate the civilian sections north of Rafah and south of the Netzarim Corridor.

The Israeli military will also widen the buffer zone between Israel and Gaza, with the leaked map showing a huge perimeter around the entire enclave.

Creating the new army zones in the center of Gaza, as well as the expanded buffer zone, will take at least three weeks. It is part of the first stage of Israel’s long-term strategy to conquer Gaza.

The leaked map also shows about a dozen sites within the new civilian areas, believed to be the locations of new humanitarian distribution centers.

The launch of a new purported humanitarian model is part of a widely condemned plan by Israel to bypass the UN and charities, and use private companies to deliver aid.

Since March, Israel has imposed a total blockade on the entry of humanitarian goods into Gaza.


Syrian foreign minister hails sanctions relief, pushes for inclusive recovery at Arab Summit

Syrian foreign minister hails sanctions relief, pushes for inclusive recovery at Arab Summit
Updated 17 May 2025
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Syrian foreign minister hails sanctions relief, pushes for inclusive recovery at Arab Summit

Syrian foreign minister hails sanctions relief, pushes for inclusive recovery at Arab Summit
  • Asaad Al-Shaibani says Syria entering a new phase ‘that embraces diversity, guarantees representation, preserves dignity’
  • ‘Syria is for all Syrians, with no place for marginalization or exclusion,’ FM tells Baghdad forum

BAGHDAD: Syria has begun taking serious steps toward national recovery and reconciliation, based on a commitment to inclusivity and sovereignty, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani said on Saturday during his address at the 34th Arab Summit in Baghdad.

Delivering his country’s remarks at the high-level gathering, Al-Shaibani said Syria was entering a new phase of “inclusive national dialogue that embraces diversity, guarantees representation, and preserves dignity.”

He added that the move marked what he described as an unprecedented effort to rebuild the nation on foundations that reject marginalization and exclusion.

“Syria is for all Syrians, with no place for marginalization or exclusion,” he declared, underlining the country’s refusal to accept “guardianship” or to serve as a battleground for external conflicts.

Al-Shaibani also welcomed the recent decision by US President Donald Trump to lift sanctions imposed on Syria, a move he hailed as a “positive and important step” on the path to national reconstruction.

He credited “sincere Arab diplomatic efforts” for helping to bring about the breakthrough.

The minister extended special thanks to Saudi Arabia and Turkiye for their role as effective mediators at a “pivotal historical moment,” and expressed deep gratitude to Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, and member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council for their support during what he called a “delicate stage” for Syria.

“Lifting the sanctions is not the end, but rather the beginning of a path that we hope will be paved with real cooperation and the integration of Arab efforts,” he said.

He also stressed the need to work together to bolster regional development, safeguard Arab national security, and enhance overall stability.

Al-Shaibani revealed that Syria was finalizing preparations for a national parliament that would represent the full spectrum of Syrian society, alongside efforts to draft a permanent constitution aimed at protecting rights, upholding sovereignty, and establishing the rule of law.

“Any project aimed at weakening or dividing the Syrian state under any pretext is categorically rejected by the Syrian state and people in all their components,” he said.


UN chief at Baghdad summit repeats rejection of Israeli-US aid plan for Gaza

UN chief at Baghdad summit repeats rejection of Israeli-US aid plan for Gaza
Updated 17 May 2025
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UN chief at Baghdad summit repeats rejection of Israeli-US aid plan for Gaza

UN chief at Baghdad summit repeats rejection of Israeli-US aid plan for Gaza
  • Gaza dominates agenda at Arab League meet as Antonio Guterres hails major forum next month as ‘important opportunity’
  • UN secretary-general also draws attention to events in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Libya

NEW YORK CITY: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has repeated his rejection of a joint Israeli-US plan to bypass his organization in delivering aid to Gaza.

The UN chief’s comments came two days after satellite imagery revealed construction of new aid distribution centers in the enclave.

Guterres was speaking on Saturday at the annual Arab League summit in Baghdad, where the situation in Gaza dominated the agenda.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani said in his opening speech at the summit: “This genocide (in Gaza) has reached a level of ugliness unparalleled in all conflicts in history.”

As well as Gaza, the UN chief also drew attention to events in the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and Libya.

He opened his speech by praising Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit and said that the UN hopes to “further strengthen” its partnership with the league.

“I am alarmed by reported plans by Israel to expand ground operations and more,” he added, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the unimpeded flow of aid to the enclave.

Since March, Israel has implemented a total blockade of humanitarian aid entering Gaza in a bid to step up pressure on Hamas.

The latest Israeli plan to allow third parties to deliver aid aims to ensure deliveries reach the right people, the country’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, has said.

However, Guterres has repeatedly rejected the Israeli plan.

“I emphasize that the UN will not participate in any so-called aid operation that does not adhere to international law and the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality,” he said on Saturday.

The UN chief also highlighted the situation in the West Bank, where settler annexation and the building of illegal settlements has escalated.

“Annexation is illegal. Settlements are illegal,” he said.

Guterres highlighted next month’s high-level conference on the Palestinian issue, co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France, as an “important opportunity.”

He said: “The world, the region — and, most of all, the people of Palestine and Israel — cannot afford to watch the two-state solution disappear before our eyes.”

On Lebanon, Guterres praised the “stated commitment by Lebanese officials to ensure a state monopoly over weapons.”

It comes as the UN’s peacekeeping force in the country, UNIFIL, works in tandem with the Lebanese army to seize Hezbollah arms caches in the country’s south.

In neighboring Syria, a political process “based on the key principles of Security Council resolution 2254” will “safeguard the rights and participation of all Syrians regardless of ethnicity and religion, and ensure their protection,” Guterres said.

The UN chief also welcomed the Houthi-US ceasefire mediated by Oman that was reached earlier this month.

“The trajectory of violence must cease as we work for a negotiated Yemeni-led political settlement,” he said.

Guterres said he was “very grateful” to the Arab League and African Union for “the excellent coordination meeting that we managed to have yesterday” on the situation in Sudan.

“In Libya, we are actively engaging with national and international actors to end the confrontation between armed groups, to preserve the independence of key oversight institutions, to address the obstacles preventing national elections, and set the course for long-term stability and prosperity — in line with the Libyan people’s needs and aspirations,” he said.

The Arab League is a “vital partner” in these efforts, he added.

“Despite the enormous challenges, let us draw lessons and hope from here in Baghdad. Working in unity and solidarity, we can help resolve conflicts and build a future of peace and prosperity,” Guterres said.

“That is the shared goal of the Arab League and the UN, and I look forward to continue to deepen our partnership together.”