The BBC has been accused of “gross historical ignorance” after it said that Syria’s Jews “want to believe they have a space now” following the collapse of Assad’s Government at the hands of an Islamist insurgency. The truth, says Danny Cohen in the Telegraph, is that after decades of hostility there are just three Jews left in the entire country. Here’s an excerpt.
This week the BBC has been reporting live from Syria as the wretched Assad regime collapsed. It is not clear yet whether Syria is destined for a democratic future or will fall prey to jihadists previously affiliated with the Islamic State and al-Qaeda.
It seems though that the BBC is optimistic. Reporting live from Damascus, the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet said the following: ‘‘This is one of the most diverse countries in the Middle East with multiple Christian and Muslim sects. And you can see it here in the Old City, all the different Quarters – Jewish, Muslim, Christian. They’re all here. They want to believe they have a space now as Syria embarks on this new chapter.”
For anyone with the slightest knowledge of the 20th century history of Jewish people in the Arab world, this statement is both ignorant and offensive.
There are believed to be three Jews left in Syria. That’s right, three Jews. The rest fled for their lives. After Syria gained independence from France in 1946, Jewish people and their property were repeatedly targeted. In 1947, the Syrian Government organised and encouraged Arab inhabitants of Aleppo to attack Jews. Pogroms followed. Synagogues, Jewish schools and orphanages were destroyed. From that point on it was clear that Jews were not welcome in Syria. The community fled to Israel and elsewhere and now there are just those three Jews left in the whole country.
The same is true across the Middle East. Vibrant Jewish communities across the region were forced out in the 20th century. Between 1948 and the early 1970s, more than 850,000 Jews were forced to leave their homes in Arab countries, some in events of mass expulsion. They became refugees in a region overwhelmingly hostile to Jews.
One wonders whether the thousands attending anti-Israel marches in London have any idea that Jews were forced en masse to abandon their homes across the Arab world and flee to Israel. It seems like many of these ‘anti-Zionists’ simply do not understand that Israel was established as a tiny strip of land in which Jewish people hoped to feel safe from their racist enemies, whether they be Arab states or European dictators.
Worth reading in full.
Journalists and activists do often seem to have no real idea how small Israel is. This country the size of Wales is the only Jewish state in the world, while Arabs occupy vast regions of land, including many well beyond their historic homeland. Yet Jewish people it appears are not even to be allowed to occupy such a meagre sliver of land in peace and security. They are constantly told they must share it with hostile populations in contorted political arrangements in no way conducive to maintaining secure borders. This is why the suspicion is always that the ‘anti-Zionists’ will only be truly happy when there is no state of Israel at all. If Jews aren’t even to be allowed a state the size of Vermont to call their own, that must be because only no state at all will do.
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BBC Middle East history – Jeremy Bowen.
” It is not clear yet whether Syria is destined for a democratic future or will fall prey to jihadists previously affiliated with the Islamic State and al-Qaeda.”
Eh? A blind man on a galloping horse can see where Syria is heading and it’s not a “democratic” (if that has any meaning anymore) future.
Correct. And it is a foregone conclusion that Syria’s military capability will be commandeered by the insane jihadists and turned to their malicious intentions toward Israel.. you can write it down! Much the same as Hamas would continue on its mission to obliterate Israel from the other direction if no direct action was taken.
Which is why the IDF have destroyed the Syrian Airforce on the ground, and its navy in port.
“And it is a foregone conclusion that Syria’s military capability will be commandeered by the insane jihadists”
Nope. Israel got their first…
Between democracy (won’t happen if only because Muslims are told it is wrong) and a jiihadi state there is a wide range of possibilities. I suspect it will be jihadi.
Is that “democratic” in our British understanding of democratic?
Oh, just what any country would need. I wonder if Kneel can cobble together a working party to go to Syria and show them how it’s done?
We watch the parade of BBC middle-east experts on the 10pm news. But, don’t worry, we don’t believe anything they say.
Wise.
“This is one of the most diverse countries in the Middle East with multiple Christian and Muslim sects. And you can see it here in the Old City, all the different Quarters – Jewish, Muslim, Christian. They’re all here.”
Yes… and have they have been fighting each other for about 1500 years – the joys and wonders of multi-culturalism.
Until the mass invasion by the Zs into the Levant I doubt if the people of the Levant have warred with each other any more than the European people have with each other.
Islamic countries, as far as I can see, are certainly vibrant but not very multicultural.
No serious reporting or journalism on geopolitical affairs should take place without a deep understanding of the historical context of the region in question, otherwise bias inevitably results.
Only 3 Jews left in Syria? The Syrians should be so lucky!
Israel was quick to occupy the Golan Heights. Since Assad’s fall, Israel has been bombing the daylights out of every military installation in the country, completely destroying Syria’s navy:
The Israeli military on Tuesday said it had carried out about 480 strikes across the country over the past two days, hitting most of Syria’s strategic weapon stockpiles, while Defense Minister Israel Katz said the Israeli navy had destroyed the Syrian fleet overnight, hailing the operation as “a great success.” (https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/10/middleeast/israel-syria-assad-strikes-intl/index.html)
There is a video showing Israeli Merkava Mark 4 tanks in the city of Umm Batna in the rural area of Quneitra in southern Syria.
These actions are, of course, in parallel to the continued starvation and murder of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as the continued bombing of Lebanon.
As far as media reports go, I love the comparison made by Simplicius comparing last week’s Washington Post headline “Israeli troops move swiftly into Syrian territory” to the 2022 PBS headline “Russia invades Ukraine on multiple fronts in brutal act of war”.
Exactly what right does Israel have to invade a sovereign foreign country and completely destroy that country’s military, especially when the country is already down on its knees? The answer is, of course, ’Self-defence’, as though Israel was not primarily responsible for the country’s downfall in the first place.
Until you started writing about alleged wring by Israel in Gaza I thought you were complementing Israel on taking pre-emptive action to protect themselves and others from jihadists getting control of Russian munitions and chamical weapons.
Once Greater Israel is achieved then there will be peace. From the Sinai to the Euphrates Israel will rule. So suck it up Jew haters.
How could anyone possibly hate Jews? Such caring, peace loving people. So in addition to Lebanon and Syria, Israel now only has to take on Egypt, Jordan and Iraq, you are saying? All in self-defence, of course. I am sure that will all happen very peacefully.
Sadly the Zionist lovers on here are too dim to realise this.
All hail Greater Israel.
They will be the death of us all.
Fingers crossed
B-b-but..the evil Jews control the world, because George Soros!
I do not think they are aware of their ignorance. If university educated, which they will be, they will have been taught presentism and by left wing teachers who have hated Israel for decades.
Ah, what is it about the BBC reporters?
That smooth, knowledgeable, reassuringly professional, confident, slightly condescending and patronizing voice, that fake objectivity…
That aura of “listen, kids, let me tell you how things are”…
All of them are like that. Jeremy Bowen, Fergus Walsh, Fiona Bruce…
The thing is – it’s actually really convincing. I have to admit that. They are good at it. Their entire biased, agenda-based reporting is done really well, apart from the fact that it presents an extremely distorted view of the world. Unless you check the “facts”, you are duped. Like convincing conmen who swindle old ladies out of their savings, they are really good at it.
I have been looking at number of photos/videos of prisoners just liberated from their cells after months/years captivity, solitary confinement, beatings, etc.
Observation: beards and hair neatly trimmed, appear well-fed, clothes in decent condition.
Anyone else noticed this incongruity with months/years of privation and brutal treatment?
The BBC is funded by the UK public, but seeks to please the public of Middle Eastern countries, other than Israel. They make no secret of this.
Bowen hates Israel.
My friends, who run Camera-uk.org, have demonstrated that literally every day for the last 10 years (that I’ve been reading their analysis) the BBC has promoted mis-truths about Israel.
I’ve been following this for over 25 years. It is endemic.
Arabs occupy vast regions of land, including many well beyond their historic homeland.
I do find it amazing how widespread Arab culture is in so many countries without even a whiff of imperialism.
What a difference a day makes. Christmas cancelled in Syria