Yochanan Visser is an independent journalist/analyst who worked for many years as Middle East correspondent for Western Journalism.com in Arizona and was a frequent publicist for the main Dutch paper De Volkskrant. He authored a book in the Dutch language about the cognitive war against Israel and now lives in Gush Etzion. He writes a twice weekly analysis of current issues for Arutz Sheva.
As the Iranian-backed Syrian army and Shiite militias approach the Syrian Golan Heights and the Israeli border, Iranian officials and commanders now openly speak about the next phase in the Syrian war: The destruction of Israel.
Over the weekend the pro-Assad coalition reached a surrender agreement with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and other rebel groups which, since the outset of the civil war in 2011, had been in control of most of the area along the Jordan border in the Daraa province in southwest Syria.
This happened after heavy bombardments by the Russian and Syrian air force at the end of an offensive which started in the middle of June and which has killed more than 150 people, while some 320.000 civilians have been displaced.
The negotiated surrender was brokered by Russia and included the handover of all heavy weapons and the forced transfer of FSA members and other rebels to the predominantly Sunni Arab province Idlib in northern Syria.
Soldiers of the pro-Assad coalition finally retained control most of the observation posts along the Jordanian border as well as the Nassib border crossing 15 kilometers away from Daraa city.
Assad’s forces are now in control of two thirds of the Daraa province and are reportedly gearing up for an offensive to ‘liberate’ the Kuneitra province, while laying siege on Daraa city where the upring against Assad began in 2011. READ MORE
