In This Edition AIPAC S BIWEEKLY ON AMERICAN MIDDLE EAST POLICY. Quietly Saving Lives: Israel Treating Wounded Syrians PAGE 1

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1 AIPAC S BIWEEKLY ON AMERICAN MIDDLE EAST POLICY AUGUST 30, E-ISSN Published biweekly by The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Funded in part by the American Israel Education Foundation, the charitable organization affiliated with AIPAC. In This Edition Quietly Saving Lives: Israel Treating Wounded Syrians PAGE 1 The Plight of Coptic Christians in Egypt PAGE 3 EDITORS: Dr. Raphael Danziger Editor-in-Chief Emeritus Adam Harris Executive Editor Cory Meyer Managing Editor Ben Shlesinger Lauren Waldstein Tzvi Kahn Associate Editors ANALYSTS: Steven Beckerman Senior Research Analyst Samantha Levy Research Analyst I.L. Kenen Founder, Al-Qaeda on Israel s Borders PAGE 6 In Focus: Rouhani s New Cabinet PAGE 9 Editorial: Syria Proves Urgency to Stop Iran PAGE 12

2 Quietly Saving Lives: Israel Treating Wounded Syrians The extreme humanitarian crisis in Syria is only getting worse. As death tolls continue to rise during the brutal civil war, 1.9 million refugees (including 1 million children) are fleeing their decimated country. In statements made this week by Secretary of State John Kerry, the United States confirmed undeniable evidence that forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-assad used chemical weapons to kill more than 1,300 Syrian men, women and children. In line with some of the strongest statements by U.S. and U.N. officials regarding what Secretary Kerry called a moral obscenity, the Obama Administration and other Western countries are now mulling a response to Assad s lethal attack. Syrian and Iranian leaders, on the other hand, have declared that they will hold Israel accountable for any military action taken by any country. We have strategic weapons and we can retaliate, said one Assad supporter. Essentially, the strategic weapons are aimed at Israel. Similarly, a senior member of Iran s parliament said that the Zionist regime will be the first victim of a military attack on Syria. Yet, despite these incitements, several incidents of firing at Israelis from across the Syrian border and a civil war that has spiraled into chaos, Israel is quietly coming to the aid of the injured escorting hundreds of Syrians across dangerous terrain for lifesaving treatments in Israel. Most of the Syrian patients clandestinely brought into Israeli hospitals are men between the ages of twenty and thirty, who arrive wounded and unconscious. At Western Galilee Hospital in Nahariya, on the Mediterranean coast near the Lebanese border, doctors say these injured victims wake up after several days not knowing where they are. When they learn they are in an Israeli hospital they are shocked. Children have been transported to these hospitals in large numbers recently, many with critical wounds from shrapnel or explosions. Some as young as three years old have received world-class medical care before returning with their parents to their war-torn land. At the Western Galilee Hospital, Israeli treatment is the only hope for many of these children to survive their injuries. One 3-year-old girl cried for her mother as an unfamiliar nurse comforted her in her hospital room, her face blackened by what doctors deemed was likely an explosion from a firebomb. Another girl, 13, has been recovering for more 2

3 Continued: Quietly Saving Lives: Israel Treating Wounded Syrians than a month from injuries requiring complex surgery to her face, arm and leg. She and her brother had gone to their village supermarket when a shell struck, killing her 9-yearold sibling. It is unclear exactly how the injured Syrians are transported into Israel or how they cross back into Syria after treatment, other than the fact that Israeli military personnel are coordinating the operations. Both doctors and patients are careful not to reveal the identities of patients and their families to the press, to protect their identities upon returning to Syria. Defying Policy in the Name of Humanity Israel s northern neighbor has been a sworn enemy of Israel for decades. Syrian youth are taught anti-israel propaganda at a young age. Yet for Israelis, as Defense Minister Moshe Ya alon asserts, the treatment of wounded Syrians is done on a humanitarian basis. Dr. Masad Barhoum, an Arab Christian citizen of Israel and the director general of the Western Galilee Hospital, says he is proud of the expert treatment his staff has provided and equally proud to be a citizen of a country that allows him to treat every injured individual with equal care and attention. Though Israel maintains a policy of non-interference in Syria, voluntary aid groups have been able to help Syrian refugees in Jordan and Turkey by providing them humanitarian aid. According to Knesset Member Ayoub Kara, Israel s medical treatment of injured Syrians is simply an expression of human values. It is important for us that when there are big problems in our neighbor states, we are helping. The Plight of Coptic Christians in Egypt Violent clashes between Egyptian security forces and pro-morsi supporters have sent Egypt spiraling into chaos in recent weeks. Well over 1,000 people have been killed in bloody violence since the military ousted former President Mohamed Morsi, in what both sides consider an existential struggle for dominance. Yet, as the death toll of pro-morsi Islamists and government forces rapidly rises, another party is under vicious attack: Egypt s Coptic Christians. 3

4 Continued: The Plight of Coptic Christians in Egypt Copts in Egypt have maintained a viable presence in Egypt since ancient times. Though they have been persistently persecuted since the rise of Islamic rule, the latest wave of targeted attacks, burned churches and blatant incitements by Islamist extremists has thrust the Coptic community into a brutal anti-christian aggression the largest since the fourteenth century. A recent memo published by the Muslim Brotherhood s Freedom and Justice Party on its Facebook page shows a clear incitement against Copts throughout the country, resulting in the deliberate targeting of Egyptian Christians and 47 churches burned, robbed or attacked. At least 6 Copts were murdered during the riots. While sectarian attacks against Christians were common in the lead-up to Morsi s overthrow, the scope increased dramatically following the military s takeover. For weeks, everyone could see these attacks coming, with Muslim Brotherhood members accusing Coptic Christians of a role in Mohammed Morsi s ouster, but the authorities did little or nothing to prevent them, said Joe Stork, acting Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. Now dozens of churches are smoldering ruins, and Christians throughout the country are hiding in their homes, afraid for their very lives. 4

5 Continued: The Plight of Coptic Christians in Egypt Churches are merely one of many targets selected by pro-morsi protestors and Islamic militants. Islamists have blocked roads frequently traveled by the Coptic population and attacked passersby, taking many hostage for ransom and selecting specific houses owned by Copts to be burned to the ground. Other reports indicate that Brotherhood mobs brandishing deadly weapons have surrounded Christian homes shouting derogatory chants, vandalizing their walls with slurs and robbing them before setting them ablaze. Many other Christian-owned businesses, schools, bookstores and homes have been explicitly marked and attacked, including a Christian orphanage. The Copts are an easy target, said Mary-Jane Deeb, chief of the African and Middle Eastern Division of the Library of Congress. There s no security and no ability to protect particular places or people. While Egyptian Christians have become the recent scapegoat of Islamists, their targeted persecution is hardly a novel phenomenon in the scope of Egyptian history. Copts, whose name derives from the Greek word for Egypt, have been established in Egyptian lands for over 2,000 years and have contributed significantly to the country s development since the Middle Ages. Copts have likewise survived as a strong religious entity in Egypt for nearly two millennia, priding themselves on their advocacy for human rights and their contributions to the Christian world. After all, the foundation of the Christian church was established in Alexandria around 50 C.E., with offshoots of the faith sustaining prominent communities in the region for centuries. The rise of Islamic rule in the region, however, has led to the subjugation and gradual deterioration of Egypt s Copts. Despite years of persecution, Egypt remains the home of approximately 8 million Coptic Christians, accounting for about 10 percent of the population. Islamists view their presence as an affront to Islamic supremacy. Moreover, Muslim Brotherhood militants wish to portray the Coptic community as an alien force actively working to subvert the country, and have launched their violent campaign as a means of broadcasting their potency. As the security situation in Egypt worsens, Copts find themselves frightened by Islamist incitement, while the foundations of their ancient tradition are burning before their eyes. 5

6 Continued: The Plight of Coptic Christians in Egypt Motherland Lost: The Egyptian and Coptic Quest for Modernity In his new book, Motherland Lost: The Egyptian and Coptic Quest for Modernity (Hoover Institution), Hudson Institute Research Fellow Samuel Tadros argues that the modern plight of Copts is inseparable from Egypt s quest for modernity. Tadros notes that as Egypt s intellectuals and state modernizers attempted to answer the challenges posed by the discovery of the West s advancement, Copts were faced with a similar crisis with the onslaught of foreign missionaries and the challenge of modernizing their ancient church. The book narrates the long history of the Copts in Egypt, tracing their banishment from the public sphere by consecutive regimes, even under Egypt s most liberal order. As turmoil continues in Egypt, writes Tadros, the Coptic predicament persists as part of Egypt s quest for a place under the sun. Al-Qaeda on Israel s Borders For decades, Israel has dealt with attacks from the south in Gaza and instability to its north in Syria. Today, a new wrinkle has been added to the mix in that is posing a dangerous threat to Israel s security. Al-Qaeda and its affiliated terrorist groups are mobilizing on its borders, emerging as the latest threat to the Jewish state. The Arab Spring eliminated several unpopular dictators, but instead of achieving hopes for regional democracy, it created vacuums of authority throughout the Middle East. Now, with much of the region spinning into chaos, pockets of new terrorist cells are fermenting close to Israeli state lines, unabated. To Israel s south, Egypt s Sinai Peninsula has become a breeding ground for al-qaeda 6

7 Continued: Al-Qaeda on Israel s Borders affiliates. The Muslim Brotherhood, of which Hamas is an off-shoot, took over following the ouster of Hosni Mubarak in 2011 and installed Mohamed Morsi as president. After the Egyptian military overthrew Morsi s Islamist leadership in July, government forces focused its attention on Cairo and devoted the bulk of its manpower to sustaining control over widespread Brotherhood protests. With strife engulfing Egypt, al-qaeda has taken advantage of a lawless Sinai in the backyard of its sworn enemy, Israel. The militants in Sinai will try to drag Israel into the conflict, so we need to contain their activities, Aviv Oreg, a former counter-terrorism director with the Israeli Defense Forces, recently told Reuters. If a rocket falls on a hillside in Israel, and no one is hurt, then we can bear that. But if a rocket falls on a hotel in Eilat, then Israel will have to retaliate. That is a situation we need to avoid. Israel s northern neighbor, Syria, has been infiltrated by al-qaeda fighters during its tumultuous civil war. Al-Qaeda affiliates, which comprise part of the Syrian opposition force, are expanding their influence as President Bashar al-assad carries out a murderous campaign to remain in power. These terrorist operatives have begun studying IDF patrols just beyond Israel s border in Syria, raising new concerns about Israeli security in the north. 7

8 Continued: Al-Qaeda on Israel s Borders According to a Times of Israel article from earlier this year, Members of the al-furqan group affiliated with the global al-qaeda organization which has acted in Yemen and Iraq were filmed close to Israel s border, out in the open In a number of videos uploaded to the Internet, the fighters can also be seen holding various munitions, including old anti-tank rockets and heavy machine guns. Al-Furqan is not the only al-qaeda affiliated group mobilizing in lawless Syria. According to The Washington Post, the original Syrian al-qaeda affiliate, Jabhat al-nusra, maintains a robust presence in many parts of the country. Some experts contend that Syria is an even more strategically important asset for al-qaeda than Iraq was, given its shared borders with Turkey, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon. A strong al-qaeda in Syria would therefore provide the terrorist group influence across the entire Middle East. Given the humanitarian crisis in Syria, and recent reports of President Bashar al-assad s alleged use of chemical weapons to kill hundreds of his own civilians, Israel is working quickly to harden its border and enforce security in its north. Yet Syria s civil war has also had a very detrimental effect on two other countries along Israel s borders. Jordan is bursting at the seams with 600,000 refugees to Israel s east. Most are living in massive refugee camps, which are breeding al-qaeda recruits. Furthermore, al-qaeda has a burgeoning presence to Israel s north in Lebanon. When four rockets were fired toward northern Israel from southern Lebanon last week, the immediate assumption was that Israel s longtime adversary, Hezbollah, was responsible. Abdullah Azzam Brigades, an Islamist group tied to al-qaeda, later claimed responsibility, however. The presence and proven willingness on the part of this terrorist group to target Israel raises concerns about whether the attack was an isolated event or a harbinger of future violence. Israel is charting a new course in defense of its security and sovereignty. The Jewish state faces myriad threats from non-traditional enemies and adversarial groups who are now seeking to establish strongholds across each of its borders. To combat threats from the Sinai, Israel is working closely with Egypt on intelligence collaboration. Egypt also allowed Israel access to use its drones to target terrorists in Sinai, while the Israelis have agreed to the Egyptian deployment of military hardware and forces for counterterrorism. 8

9 Continued: Al-Qaeda on Israel s Borders Furthermore, Israel built a security fence in the south to stop terrorists and illegal immigrants from crossing over. In the first half of this year, the number of people entering Israel illegally through the south dropped 99.6 percent compared to the same time last year. That is a change from 9,570 to 34. Primarily deployed on its northern and eastern borders, Israel has as its disposal the Iron Dome missile defense system. While yet not perfect, Iron Dome helps save Israeli lives and intercepts about 80 percent of incoming missiles. As resurgent terrorist groups surrounding Israel alter the dynamics of an already volatile Middle East, the Jewish state faces the constant challenge of remaining prepared to defend against those who seek its destruction. In Focus: Rouhani s New Cabinet On August 15, all but three of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani s new Cabinet minister nominees were confirmed by the country s parliament. World leaders have voiced their praises of many of the new members for their purported support for international diplomacy, including with the United States. In contrast to these hopeful assertions about Tehran s new government just as was the case with Rouhani himself questions loom considering the degree of moderation 9

10 Continued: In Focus: Rouhani s New Cabinet uniting the new cabinet officials as they prepare to manage Iran s future. These officials have the opportunity to demonstrate with specific actions, versus their prior rhetoric, their seriousness about engaging with the international community and meeting demands about its nuclear program. Regardless of the potential steps taken by Rouhani and his cabinet, the ultimate decisions regarding Iranian policy and that of its illicit nuclear weapons program lie solely in those of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Near East Report examined each of Rouhani s new Cabinet appointments to uncover the makeup of the new body to lead the Islamic Republic. Here are some of the noteworthy players: Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif Zarif is the former Iranian ambassador to the United Nations ( ), studied both at the University of Denver and at San Francisco University and is considered by many to share similar perspectives to Rouhani s on foreign policy matters. He is believed to represent the brightest that the post-revolution Foreign Ministry has produced, having climbed the ranks without the help of religiously or politically important familial relations. While many view Zarif as the most important olive branch to the West, he indicated shortly after his appointment that there would be no changes in Iran s foreign policy strategy. Oil Minister, Bijan Namdar Zangeneh Zangeneh previously served as Oil Minister between 1997 and 2005, a post that oversees Iran s most important source of income. During his confirmation hearing, he acknowledged the impact of international sanctions, stating that sanctions have surely created problems for our presence in the global oil market. Intelligence Minister, Mahmoud Alavi Alavi was confirmed by a large majority after previously serving as Rouhani s liaison to Qom the focal point of Shi a Islam in the world during the presidential campaign. He is a member of the Assembly of Experts, the body responsible for selecting and nominally 10

11 Continued: In Focus: Rouhani s New Cabinet overseeing the country s supreme leader. Alavi has also engaged in anti-american rhetoric and referred to Hamas and Hezbollah as the pupils of Iran. Defense Minister, Hossein Dehghan Dehghan maintains long-established ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), after serving as a top official in Lebanon to help strengthen Tehran s terrorist proxy, Hezbollah. He also served as a senior IRGC official in Syria in the early 1980s. Dehghan played a key role in the Iran-Iraq war, and is allegedly implicated in the 1983 bombing that killed 241 American servicemen in Lebanon. The new Defense Minister is tasked with coordinating defense strategy with the IRGC in Rouhani s new government. Interior Minister, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazil Rouhani s new Interior Minister has served as the director of the Supreme Audit Court since 2008, the body that issues yearly assessments of the financial operations of all government institutions and the extent to which they have coincided with the legislature s budget. A traditional conservative, Fazil will be charged with appointing the chief of police and licensing political parties and civil society organizations. It is unlikely, however, that Rouhani will allow him to act independently in the selection process for these civil groups. Justice Minister, Mostafa Pourmohammadi Pourmohammadi will serve as the intermediary between the branches of the Iranian parliament, after previously serving as the head of Iran s Inspectorate Office. He was implicated in horrific acts when serving as Iran s general prosecutor in the revolutionary courts, and was recently criticized by Human Rights Watch for his alleged role in the 1988 execution of thousands of political prisoners. Pourmohammadi served as the interior minister in Ahmadinejad s administration until 2007, during which time calls for a thorough investigation into his criminal interrogations went unheeded. Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Mahmoud Vaezi Vaezi previously served as Rouhani s deputy at the Iranian Center for Strategic Research, and was reportedly considered for the Foreign Minister position. He will oversee the body 11

12 Continued: In Focus: Rouhani s New Cabinet that generates Iran s third largest revenues, the importance of which has grown as the impact of international sanctions against Iran has impacted Tehran s economy. Vice-President for Legal Affairs, Elham Aminzadeh Aminzadeh, the lone woman in Rouhani s cabinet, earned her judicial qualifications with a doctorate in international law from University of Glasgow. Her doctoral thesis focused on the United Nations. Head of the President s Office (Chief of Staff), Mohammad Nahavandian Nahavandian is an American-educated economist, having served in several bureaucratic positions for decades. He worked as Rouhani s Chief of Staff during his successful presidential campaign. The United States and its allies are eager to engage in negotiations with the new Iranian government on their country s nuclear weapons program. As the talks progress, the negotiators need to judge Tehran not by the expected softer rhetoric of Rouhani and the members of his new Cabinet but by Iran s actions on the ground. Editorial: Syria Proves Urgency to Stop Iran As the West, led by the United States, evaluates how to respond to the use of chemical weapons in Syria, the Israeli government is racing to prepare its citizens for the worst. Israel is rapidly working to ensure its civilians have gas masks and are trained on how to use them in the event of a retaliatory attack by Assad, Iran or Hezbollah on Israeli population centers. The Jewish state is our only ally and the only country in the world whose citizens are currently being distributed gas masks en masse. The use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime highlights the danger of allowing the world s most dangerous regimes to possess weapons of mass destruction. As Israel prepares its citizens for the possible ramifications of a chemical attack from Syria, the United States must consider potentially catastrophic ramifications if Iran, who is actively backing Assad, acquires a nuclear weapons capability. 12

13 Continued: Editorial: Syria Proves Urgency to Stop Iran While Assad has already thrust his country into turmoil and instability, the worst possible outcome for the Middle East would be an Iranian regime equipped with the world s most dangerous weapon. An effective Western response to Assad s belligerent use of chemical weapons and any military action to deter him from using them again would be jeopardized even further by Syria s dictator operating under the umbrella of a nuclear Iran. As we witness unthinkable horror in Syria, the urgency of stopping Iran s nuclear ambitions is paramount. We cannot allow Assad to operate with the support of his greatest ally in Tehran backed by a nuclear weapons capability. The Islamic Republic is already expanding its influence throughout the region, moving military equipment and resources into Syria and Lebanon. Now is the time to increase the pressure on the Iranian regime, and the U.S. must quickly and measurably test Iranian President Rouhani s determination to bring about a diplomatic solution to the nuclear dispute. In July, the House passed the Nuclear Iran Prevention Act of 2013 (H.R. 850) by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of , which will strengthen enforcement of current U.S. sanctions on Iran. The new legislation will expand sanctions targeting Iran s human rights violations, and, for the first time, specifically authorize the president to impose sanctions on any entity that maintains significant commercial ties to Iran. When the Senate returns from its recess in September, it should push this bill s counterpart to a vote and increase the pressure on Iran. These efforts offer the best opportunity to peacefully prevent Iran s nuclear ambitions, safeguard American interests, and strengthen U.S. national security. 13