Last night, my discussion group topic was “The Syrian Refugee Crisis.” Reportedly, half the population of Syria has been displaced by the civil war. We discussed the impressive measures that Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey have taken to help these refugees. As Israel is also a neighbor of Syria, someone asked what Israel is doing to help the Syrians, even suggesting they take in refugees. As the Syrians and most of Israel's neighbors are committed to its destruction, this seemed like a stupid question to me. I knew Israel was discretely providing medical aide, which came as a surprise to some, but I didn't think they could do much more. Israel is a very small country and it has very real security concerns that are quite different from its neighbors. Thank goodness for stupid questions.
Why Did Israel Decide to Support Syrian Rebels? - Jacky Hugi (Al Monitor)
Israeli Doctors Try to Save Christian Baby that Fled Islamic State – Lazar Berman (The Times of Israel)
From October 2014
Israelis are Feeding Syrian Refugees in Jordan, but in Secret (The Jerusalem Post)
From April 2013
Israel may be operating in Syria- Noga Tarnoplosky (The Jerusalem Post) While the Israeli forces may be operating in a non-military capacity, it would be the first time they have been known to set foot in Syria since the 1970s.
