For Every Syrian Who Celebrated Freedom, It’s Time to Start Crying

With the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad’s government, many Syrians are celebrating, shouting “Freedom,” “Victory,” and “A New Era.”

Syrians abroad are raising the opposition’s flag and waving slogans of liberty. Swedish netizens are calling on them to return to Syria and enjoy their newfound freedom. In Germany, people are urging the government to remove Syria from its list of “unsafe countries” and revoke asylum protections for those who fled.

However, Syrian immigrant rights organizations are urging the German government to keep Syria on the list and prevent deportations. These individuals are not the same as the millions of Syrians who lost their homes in the country. They sought asylum by claiming that they suffered persecution by the Assad government, and many have already obtained residency in countries like Germany.

Syrian journalist Amari tweeted on December 8, saying that the day was “the beginning of a new era for Syria.” Two days later, on December 10, he posted again, claiming that “the mass graves will be found.”

However, when Israeli forces entered Syrian territory, he called for Israel to halt its strikes, stating that Syria had been liberated and is no longer an enemy of Israel. Otherwise, they would change their stance toward Israel in the media.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, meanwhile, has made it clear that the Golan Heights will forever be part of Israel. The country’s foreign ministry also justifies the invasion, claiming that the military actions are necessary to protect Jewish communities.

The Guardian reports on Netanyahu’s statement following Israel’s takeover of the Golan Heights.

Syria has no soldiers left to defend its territory, as the government army is disbanding and the opposition forces are preparing to turn on each other. Its military post on Mount Hermon, a key defense in the Golan Heights, stood wide open, allowing Israeli forces to easily enter the other side of the Golan Heights.

On December 9, Israel’s permanent representative to the United Nations sent a letter to the UN Security Council, warning that the safety of UN personnel in the Golan Heights was at serious risk, suggesting that the UN peacekeeping forces should quickly withdraw from the buffer zone.

Under the Assad administration, Israel also carried out airstrikes, but they were more restrained. However, with the collapse of the Assad government, Israel was free to conduct attacks anywhere in Syria. In just two days, the Israeli Air Force launched around 250 strikes on key Syrian targets. Military facilities across most Syrian provinces were hit, with airports, ammunition depots, aircraft, warships, radar stations, and research facilities destroyed. Meanwhile, the country’s air defense system was completely crippled.

Some people hope the United States will intervene to stop Israel. However, on December 11, the U.S. State Department stated that Israel’s actions in the Golan Heights were “reasonable and legal,” as it prevents potential terrorist organizations and extremist groups from using the area as a base. After hearing this, some might finally understand that the U.S. simply doesn’t care about Syria.

In fact, the Golan Heights was never a disputed territory. After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the area was governed by the French Mandate. Following Syria’s independence, it declared sovereignty over the Golan Heights in 1946, with no objections from other countries. However, in 1967, Israel used military force to occupy the region. In May 1974, the UN Security Council intervened, and both sides ceased contact, with peacekeeping forces stationed in the ceasefire zone. The Golan Heights was divided, with Israel controlling a much larger area and seizing the water resources.

On December 14, 1981, Israel passed a law declaring the Golan Heights to be part of Israeli territory, granting Israel legislative, judicial, and executive powers over the area. On March 25, 2019, President Trump signed a declaration in the presence of Netanyahu, recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel hold up a Golan Heights proclamation at the White House.

International organizations like the United Nations, as well as countries including Canada, have voiced opposition. But Israel is far from satisfied; it is waiting for the right moment to seize the remaining portion of the Golan Heights, and now that moment has arrived.

Some people, who believe they have integrated into Western society and been accepted by Western civilization, think they can enlighten the Syrians. They often praise the United States or criticize China and Russia, without truly understanding the Syrian perspective or the causes of Syria’s economic collapse. They believe that the reason many Syrians can only afford two pieces of bread a day is because of Assad’s governance, and that once he’s gone, everything will improve. However, they fail to realize that if it weren’t for government subsidies, food prices would have skyrocketed by now, and Syrians wouldn’t even be able to afford two pieces of bread.

Due to the ongoing war, Syria’s annual wheat production has dropped from 6 million tons to just 500,000 tons. The wheat-producing areas are controlled by U.S. army and Kurdish forces. The government has been forced to use foreign exchange reserves to purchase wheat from other Arab countries and sell it at low prices. As a result, Syria doesn’t have enough foreign reserves for reconstruction. When the Assad government fell, the country’s foreign reserves were only about $700 million, and the central bank’s gold reserves were nearly depleted.

Western media has demonized Assad, accusing him of using chemical weapons against his enemies. But after three days of searching, the opposition forces couldn’t find any trace of these weapons, let alone so-called mass graves.

Previously, the BBC reported that Assad’s plane was shot down and his entire family was killed. Now, they claim he moved his wealth abroad. In fact, Assad did transfer valuable items overseas. A few years ago, he sent over 100 precious Syrian artifacts to China. On May 17, the Nanjing City Wall Museum held an exhibition of Syrian cultural relics, with other cities in China showcasing them as well. More than a dozen of these items are considered national treasures of Syria. Had they not been moved, these relics would have either been destroyed in the war or ended up in auction houses in New York.

Syrian artifacts on exhibition in Nanjing

Eventually, Assad gave up resistance, handing over Damascus peacefully to the opposition forces and announcing his resignation. Today, the opposition’s flag is everywhere, with three stars replacing the previous two, and the red, white, and black color scheme now replaced by green, white, and black. Some girls have even painted the flag on their faces in celebration. Syrian women activists are shouting excitedly, saying that Syria is free again.

However, groups like HTS and other armed groups are already establishing a new order—one in which women are not allowed to go out alone without a male relative, such as a father or husband.

On December 9, the famous Syrian actress Iliana Saad was stopped while driving through the streets of Damascus on her way to join the celebrations. Armed members controlling her neighborhood intercepted her and told her, “You are too free. We are an Islamic nation. Without a mahram (male relative), a woman cannot go out alone.”

Some videos from the streets of Syria show people toppling Christmas trees that were waiting to be decorated. And this is just the beginning…