Alt-Media Is Speechless After Syria Reportedly Requested Quake Aid From Israel Via Russia

Damascus’ de facto reversal of its official anti-Zionist policies creates an unparalleled narrative dilemma for the Alt-Media Community whose members support Syria largely as a result of that aforesaid stance. They’re thus forced to either go against their own principles by praising President Bashar Assad’s reported request for quake aid from his official Israeli enemies or protect their integrity by condemning what he just did.

The Alt-Media Community (AMC) is known for its members’ passionate anti-Zionism, which sometimes even extends to the extreme of peddling lies about the “politically inconvenient” Russian-Israeli Strategic Partnership such as pretending that President Putin is secretly an anti-Zionist. Its more moderate manifestation is the most common, however, wherein many of these folks explicitly explain that one of the reasons why they support Syria is because of its leadership’s official anti-Zionist policies.

In any case, the AMC is now speechless after Syria reportedly requested quake aid from Israel via Russia. Newly re-elected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who’s popularly known as Bibi, publicly confirmed that he approved Syria’s request that Reuters claimed was relayed to Israel by Russia according to the self-professed Jewish State’s public broadcaster Kan. Although neither Damascus nor Moscow confirmed that report, they also didn’t deny it either, thus extending credibility to that claim.

It should therefore be taken for granted that Bibi wouldn’t have publicly confirmed his approval of Syria’s reported aid request if it hadn’t actually been conveyed since he wouldn’t have needlessly embarrassed himself by inventing it out of thin air just for the sake of doing so. That realistically being the case, it thus means that Syria saw an opportunity to break the ice with its Israeli enemy by indirectly requesting its aid after the latest quake, which suggests that its official anti-Zionist stance is changing.  

This observation follows its thaw with Turkiye, which is also officially considered by Damascus to be an enemy state as well. That gradual rapprochement is being mediated by their shared Russian partner, which in turn extends further credence to Kan’s report that Moscow relayed Syria’s quake aid request to Israel when considering that this pair of enemy states each have strategic ties with that Eurasian Great Power too, which is also a commonality between Damascus and Tel Aviv.

The emerging conclusion is therefore that Russia is brokering Syria’s simultaneous rapprochements with its two official enemies, which is driven by the Kremlin’s desire to reaffirm its role as West Asia’s geostrategic kingmaker as well as reward Israel and Turkiye for defying the US’ pressure to “isolate” it. This multilaterally beneficial political process might erode Iran’s influence within Syria, however, but that potential outcome could thus remove the pretext for Israel’s countless strikes there over the years.

That scenario might in turn be coupled with Turkiye’s possible withdrawal from the Arab Republic in the event that their Moscow-mediated rapprochement succeeds in order to restore stability to the Levant after years of hitherto unprecedented disruptions there that both Ankara and Tel Aviv had a hand in. For that to happen, however, Syria must first reconcile with its two official enemies regardless of how uncomfortable this might make its Iranian ally and despite the consequences for its regional influence.  

It goes without saying that Damascus’ de facto reversal of its official anti-Zionist policies, which might ultimately be de jure if it ends up recognizing Israel, creates an unparalleled narrative dilemma for the AMC whose members support Syria largely as a result of that aforesaid stance. They’re thus forced to either go against their own principles by praising President Bashar Assad’s reported request for quake aid from his official Israeli enemies or protect their integrity by condemning what he just did.

Either way, it’s a position that none of them want to be in, which is why their gatekeepers are expected to ignore this “politically inconvenient” development as long as possible unless/until this becomes impossible such as if Damascus confirms and/or publicizes this aid for accelerate their rapprochement. Bibi’s public confirmation of Syria’s aid request that was reportedly relayed via Russia might thus be insincerely dismissed by them as so-called “fake news” for the time being if they decide to react to it.

It remains to be seen how Israeli aid will reach Syria but there are two likely scenarios. The first concerns its direct dispatch via the IDF’s international rescue units that the Jerusalem Post reported that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant instructed in a statement on Monday to prepare to provide emergency aid. Should that happen, then it would represent the first-ever peacetime deployment of the IDF to Syria in history and thus all but guarantee that Damascus will officially recognize Israel shortly thereafter.

That might be too fast for them to move at this point in their rapprochement, however, so the second scenario of Israel passing this aid along to Russia for its final disbursal across Syria is more likely. The Russian Armed Forces could either visit Israel to pick it up or the IDF might even fly and/or ship it into one of their Syrian bases such as those in Latakia and/or Tartus respectively. That aforesaid possibility would represent a blend of both scenarios and is quite reasonable in terms of all three players’ interests.

However it ends up happening, nobody should doubt that Bibi will keep his word by sending aid to Syria like he publicly confirmed that he’ll do, though it remains to be seen if, when, and how the AMC will react to this as well as whatever might come afterwards as was earlier forecast. Syria just defied its own official anti-Zionist policies and thus the cause that those folks are so passionate about, which throws them onto the horns of a dilemma that they never expected they’d be forced to deal with.