Israel and the Middle East News Update Thursday, October 10 Headlines: • Turkey Launches Offensive Against U.S.-Backed Syrian Militia • Trump: U.S. Should Never Have Been Involved in Mideast Wars • Two Killed in Shooting Near Synagogue in Germany • PM: German Attack is Expression of Rising Anti-Semitism in Europe • Amid Deadlock, Liberman Presents 4-point Plan for Unity Govt’ • Blue & White: Liberman’s Outline is a Wake-Up Call for the Likud • Lieberman Implies Netanyahu Sent Investigators to Spy on Him • Two Children Killed in Yom Kippur Road Accidents Commentary: • Foreign Affairs: “Turkey’s Endgame in Syria” - By Gonul Tol, Director of the Center for Turkish Studies at the Middle East Institute • Al Monitor: “Netanyahu’s Day of Atonement” - By Ben Caspit, commentator at Al Monitor S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace 633 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20004 The Hon. Robert Wexler, President ● Yoni Komorov, Editor ● Aaron Zucker, Associate Editor News Excerpts October 7, 2019 New York Times Turkey Launches Offensive Against U.S.-Backed Syrian Militia Turkey launched a ground and air assault on Wednesday against a Syrian militia that has been a crucial American ally in the fight against ISIS, days after President Trump agreed to let the operation proceed. As Turkish warplanes bombed Syrian towns and troops crossed the border, the chaos in Washington continued, with President Trump issuing seemingly contradictory policy statements in the face of strident opposition from his Republican allies in Congress. Mr. Trump acquiesced to the Turkish operation in a call with Turkey’s president on Sunday, agreeing to move American troops out of Turkey’s way despite opposition from his own State Department and military. On Wednesday, hours after the operation began, he condemned it, calling it “a bad idea.” See also, “Republican anger grows as Trump disavows Kurds by saying they didn't help during WWII” (CNN) Ha’aretz Trump: U.S. Should Never Have Been Involved in Mideast Wars President Trump lashed out Wednesday over sharp criticism of his decision to pull back U.S. troops from northeastern Syria, insisting he is focused on the “BIG PICTURE” that doesn’t include American involvement in “stupid endless wars” in the Middle East. “Fighting between various groups that has been going on for hundreds of years. USA should never have been in Middle East,” Trump said in a series of morning tweets. “The stupid endless wars, for us, are ending!” Turkey launched its offensive Wednesday against Kurdish fighters in Syria, who have helped the U.S. against the Islamic State. Turkey views the Syrian Kurdish fighters as terrorists, and Trump’s decision to pull back U.S. troops leaves them vulnerable to the military onslaught. See also, “In Angry Tweets, Trump Defends Pulling U.S. Troops From Syria” (TIME) Ynet News Two Killed in Shooting Near Synagogue in Germany Two people were killed in shooting attacks on a synagogue and a kebab bistro in the eastern German city of Halle on Wednesday and one suspect was arrested, but two others fled in a hijacked a car, officials said. The violence occurred on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the calendar in Judaism when Jews fast, seeking atonement. The two suspects on the loose headed out on a motorway that leads to Munich in the country's south, according to the mayor of the town of Landsberg, adjacent to Halle. Gunfire was also heard in Landsberg, Focus Online reported. See also, “Two people killed in synagogue shooting in Halle in eastern Germany” (ABC) Times of Israel PM: German Attack is Expression of Rising Anti-Semitism in Europe Moments after the end of Yom Kippur, Israeli leaders expressed shock and outrage over the deadly attack Wednesday targeting a synagogue in the German city of Halle. “The terror attack against the community in Halle, Germany, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day for our people, is another expression of the rising anti-Semitism in Europe,” Netanyahu said in a statement, moments after the holy day ended in Israel (while it was still ongoing in Germany). “In the name of the Israeli people I send condolences to the families of the victims and wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured,” he went on. 2 Times of Israel Amid Deadlock, Liberman Presents 4-point Plan for Unity Govt’ Avigdor Liberman late Wednesday presented his blueprint for a unity government together with Netanyahu’s Likud and Gantz’s Blue and White amid an ongoing deadlock in talks. In a post on Facebook, Liberman suggested that as a first step representatives of the three parties get together to hash out the guiding principles of a future unity government. Liberman said that should such an agreement be reached they should then adopt President Reuven Rivlin’s proposal for a power sharing compromise. A third stage proposed by Liberman would see the new government pass the budget and a multi-year defense plan. They would then, in the fourth stage, allow other parties to join the coalition if they agreed to the governments guiding principles, Liberman said. See also, “LIBERMAN PLAN: NETANYAHU FIRST, BUT WITHOUT BLOC” (JPost) Ynet News Blue & White: Liberman’s Outline is a Wake-Up Call for the Likud Blue and White officials welcomed overnight Thursday to Yisrael Beytenu's new outline for a unity government, calling Liberman's party 'natural partners'. "We welcome this outline and see Avigdor Liberman and his party as natural partners for a coalition which we hope will soon come," said the officials. "We hope that this outline will be a wake-up call for the Likud party and bring it to the negotiation table". See also, “ 'Only Likud, Blue and White, and Yisrael Beyteinu in government” (Arutz 7) Ha’aretz Lieberman Implies Netanyahu Sent Investigators to Spy on Him Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman slammed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other members of his Likud Party on Monday, saying the premier “isn’t capable of understanding concepts like friendship or loyalty." In an interview with the Israeli Maariv daily, Lieberman said that he wouldn’t be surprised if Netanyahu and his associates had hired private investigators to stalk him and his family. “The problem with Bibi is once you have a different approach or perception than his, and it goes against his interests, you immediately become a personal enemy. You are immediately accused of hating the prime minister, that you’re a leftist and that you’re trying to overthrow him, while ignoring the facts,” Lieberman said. Jerusalem Post Two Children Killed in Yom Kippur Road Accidents Two children were killed in central Israel on Wednesday during Yom Kippur when they were hit by a car and motorcycle while riding bicycles, Channel 12 reported. The 10-year-old boy was riding on Route 443, just outside of the Ben-Shemen Youth Village in central Israel, according to Channel 12. “On the highway, the boy lay unconscious, without a pulse and out of breath when suffering from a severe head injury,” a Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedic said. “Citizens who were on-site provided him with medical treatment and performed basic CPR training under the guidance of the MDA hotline. We continued medical care and performed advanced CPR operations. We evacuated him in critical condition to the hospital, where they determined he was deceased.” An 8-year-old boy was also hit on Namir Road in Tel Aviv. He was pronounced dead at Ichilov Hospital. In Israel, the roads are often empty during Yom Kippur, when Jews traditionally fast and pray to atone for their sins. While it is not illegal to drive on Yom Kippur, most Jewish-Israelis avoid doing so as part of this tradition. As a result, people often ride bikes or walk on streets and highways that are filled with vehicles on normal days. 3 Foreign Affairs – October 9, 2019 Turkey’s Endgame in Syria By Gonul Tol, Director of the Center for Turkish Studies at the Middle East Institute • In a stunning announcement on Sunday, the Trump administration gave the nod to a Turkish military incursion into northeastern Syria, an operation that would entail clashes with Washington’s Kurdish allies in the area. The U.S. military, which has around 1,000 troops in Syria, would not “support or be involved in the operation.” But the White House said it would pull back U.S. forces stationed near the Syrian-Turkish border to clear the way for Ankara’s troops. • Facing an intense backlash even among Republicans, Trump seemed to backpedal on Monday. But Turkish army units stand ready at the Syrian border, and Washington’s exhortations are unlikely to keep Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from giving them the green light. This is because Turkey’s strategy is more than an exercise in geopolitics—for Erdogan, the war touches on his very political survival. • In fact, Turkey’s Syria policy has for years turned on Erdogan’s ambition to consolidate his one- man rule at home. Turkey supported Islamist insurgents against Damascus when doing so strengthened Erdogan’s religious credentials at home. After flagging electoral support forced Erdogan to partner with an anti-Kurdish opposition party, his attention shifted to fighting the Kurdish forces operating in Syria. That goal remains today, but it is slowly being overshadowed by an even more pressing concern: getting rid of the millions of Syrian refugees who have made their way to Turkey over the years, where they have now become a burden on Erdogan. That a major military incursion will solve these problems is far from guaranteed. But Erdogan is determined to try. • Turkey’s playbook in Syria has changed dramatically since civil war broke out in 2011.