7 International Tuesday, October 16, 2018 Crossing point between Syria and Israel-held Golan reopens UN peacekeepers to monitor the region GOLAN HEIGHTS: The sole crossing point between Syria Syrian civil war, seeking to create a buffer zone against and Israeli-controlled territory reopened yesterday after a Iranian influence. four-year hiatus, as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s Last month, it ended its ‘Good Neighbor’ support pro- regime bolsters its control in the wake of sweeping gram for rebels in the Golan that saw thousands brought advances against rebels. The reopening of the crossing on to Israel for medical treatment, as well as aid shipped the Golan Heights was the result of a deal between Israel, across the border. It has expressed concern that Iranian- Syria and the United Nations, and it will allow UN peace- backed groups allied to Assad, including Lebanese militant keepers to monitor the region. Two UN white jeeps group Hezbollah, could move into the Golan, creating a crossed into Israeli-controlled territory through the threat to Israeli cities. So far there is no Hezbollah pres- reopened crossing near Quneitra in the Golan Heights, ence near the crossing, according to the Syrian during a low-key ceremony. The Syrian flag was raised on Observatory for Human Rights, and the Israeli army has Syria’s side of the crossing, an said it expects the UNDOF AFP correspondent said. forces to keep “hostile groups” The main border crossing from the region. between Syria and Jordan also Syrian flag The United States has hailed reopened yesterday. The the reopening, saying it would Quneitra crossing is used pri- raised on “allow UN peacekeepers to step marily by the UN up their efforts to prevent hostili- Disengagement Observer Syria’s side of ties in the Golan Heights region”. Force (UNDOF), which has Syria and Israel remain techni- around 1,000 troops to moni- the crossing cally at war, though the border tor a ceasefire line separating had been quiet for decades Israeli-occupied parts of the before the Syrian conflict. For Golan Heights from Syria. Eyal Zisser, director of the UNDOF resumed its patrols in Middle East Studies Department the area of the crossing point in August, after withdrawing at Tel Aviv University, the reopening forms part of a “return in 2014 when Al-Qaeda-linked rebels overran the area. An to normal”. “The border between Israel and Syria was very Israeli military official said initially the crossing would calm before the start of the Syrian civil war and the return JABER: Photo shows portraits of Jordan’s King Abdullah II (right) and his late father King Hussein of Jordan above the open twice a day for UNDOF forces, but openings could to normal is very convenient for Israel,” he said. checkpoint at the Jaber border crossing between Jordan and Syria (Nassib crossing on the Syrian side) on the day of be expanded in the coming months. “There is no Daesh (the Islamic State organization), no its reopening. — AFP Iranians or Hezbollah, there is a clear address on the other Lifeline side, that’s all that Israel wants,” he added. The crossing is Assad’s forces, backed by Russian and Iranian military also used by Druze families who held onto Syrian citizen- support, have regained control of large swathes of Syria in ship after 1967 but live on the Israeli side to travel to 7, Yang, 21, appeared wearing an antler-shaped head- the past year, including forcing rebels from the Quneitra Syria for trade, education, religious ceremonies and wed- China live-streamer band and hummed a ceremonial song in combination region and also along the border with Jordan. Israel seized dings. Nazeeh Ibrahim, 65, one of a handful of Golan with some of the words of “The March of the much of the Golan Heights from Syria in the Six-Day War Druze who witnessed yesterday’s opening, described the Volunteers”, while waving her arms and mimicking a of 1967 and later annexed it in a move not recognized by crossing as a “lifeline”. “Every (Druze) household in the held for ‘insulting’ conductor. the international community. The Jewish state supported Golan has family” in Syria, he said. “We want to be with Huya subsequently blocked Yang’s live-stream chan- some rebel groups in the Golan during the seven-year our parents, our families.” — AFP national anthem nel, froze her account and removed her videos. Yang’s husky voice became popular on another live-stream platform, TikTok, and in August she was invited to per- Sariheen called the reopening of Jaber a source of “great SHANGHAI: A popular Chinese live-streamer has been form by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. “The national Jordan reopens happiness for all of us” which will help ease “economic sentenced to five days detention for “insulting” China’s anthem is solemn and should not be sung in a live- hardships” caused by the closure of the crossing. “Our national anthem by waving her arms and mimicking a stream room,” Yang wrote in an apology and self-criti- conditions have worsened over the past years. Our work conductor as she sung the song during a broadcast to cism to her 1.1 million followers on Twitter-like platform border post with was halted because of the closure of the border between millions of her followers. The woman, Yang Kaili, was Weibo. “I will stop all live-stream work, perform self- Jordan and Syria,” he added. The border crossing, known detained by authorities in Shanghai Saturday for violat- rectification, draw lessons from the bitter experience, Syria after 3 years as Jaber on the Jordanian side and Nassib on the Syrian ing a national anthem law that was enacted last year. In deeply reflect and fully accept education on ideological side, was a key trade route before Amman closed it after a broadcast on the Huya live-stream website on October politics and patriotism.” — AFP JABER BORDER CROSSING: Jordan yesterday reopened the post was overrun by rebels in April 2015. The reopen- its main border crossing with war-torn Syria, a key Middle ing comes after Syrian government troops retook their East trade route, after a three year closure, AFP reporters side of the crossing in July under a deal with rebel fighters said. The black metal border gate was opened from the brokered by Moscow. Jordanian side of the crossing at 8:00 am as more than a Before it was shut the crossing was a major link not dozen police and customs officials stood nearby. Cars only for direct trade between the neighboring countries bearing Jordanian license plates queued to enter Syria as but also for longer-distance transit, which was a significant travelers expressed their joy at being able to cross the source of revenue. Its closure strained the economy of border. Syrian businessman Hisham Falyoun, who lives in Jordan-a desert kingdom with little resources which is Jordan with his wife and children, was the first person to heavily reliant on imports and foreign aid. Nabil Romman, cross the border in his black Mercedes jeep. a Jordanian trade official, told AFP in 2015 that “70 per- “I am extremely happy, I can’t express my feelings. This cent of what we eat, of everything we import and export, crossing should have been reopened earlier as it is a very passed through Syria”. vital line for all Arab countries not only Jordan and Syria,” Cross border trade between Jordan and Syria in 2010 - he said. “I wanted to be the first person to cross to show a year before the war broke out-stood at $615 million (530 everyone that Syria is safe, Syria is back,” said Falyoun, million euros). Damascus hopes that resumption of activity who was hoping to surprise his parents in Damascus. across the border post will help revitalize its own economy Other travelers were likewise elated to make the crossing. which has been devastated by the war. After seven years of “Today is a celebration for us and I wanted to be among civil war, Syria’s government has recaptured large swathes the first to cross the border,” said Syrian businessman of territory from rebels with backing from Russia, but it Mohammed Hisham as he waited for his turn to enter Syria still only controls around half the 19 crossing points with from Jordan where he now lives. Jordanian taxi driver Imad neighbors Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey. — Reuters Riyadh defends itself in Khashoggi case DUBAI: Saudi King Salman has begun weighing in to try to defuse the grow- ing crisis over missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as the kingdom goes on the offensive triggering a fierce online media campaign. In a phone call with ISTANBUL: Saudi officials leave the Saudi Arabian consulate in US President Donald Trump yester- Istanbul yesterday. —0 AFP day, the king denied “any knowledge of whatever may have happened ‘to has sought to ease tensions surround- targeted at US decision-makers amid our Saudi Arabian citizen’”, the US ing the 33-year-old Prince rising calls for Congress to step in leader said in a tweet. Trump added Mohammed, who has been cultivated and put key arms sales on hold, he he was “immediately” sending by the US but whose reformist creden- said. “It will be the task of political Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to tials are being quickly shredded by the advisors and strategists to prevent Riyadh “to meet with the king” for mystery surrounding Khashoggi’s fate. Trump from causing damage to the talks on the crisis. In an earlier phone call with Trump in US-Saudi relationship,” he added.