BICOM

An official Syrian document indicating the involvement of the Syrian authorities in orchestrating the ‘Nakba Day’ demonstrations on the Golan Heights last months has been published on the website of the Daily Telegraph newspaper. The Arabic language document is a report of a meeting between the Syrian Chief of Staff, and regional commanders of Syria’s powerful military intelligence. The document includes a statement granting ‘permission’ to demonstrating crowds to approach the ceasefire line in the direction of Majdal Shams in the northern Golan, and it goes on to identify a particular officer who is charged with the task of leading a group deeper into the Golan Heights. Two people were killed in the area of Majdal Shams on 15 May, as Israeli security forces sought to prevent the infiltration of demonstrators into the Golan Heights.

In the course of the Syrian uprising, opposition groups have produced similar documents. On each occasion, supporters of the Syrian regime have challenged the veracity of these documents. Regarding this latest revelation, it can be said with some confidence that the large-scale demonstrations seen on the border area on 15 May could not have taken place without the collusion of the Syrian authorities. This is because southern Syria is currently a closed military zone, with roadblocks and checkpoints on all the major highways. Thus, a fleet of buses containing demonstrators could not have reached the border unless the authorities had allowed it to do so. Therefore, the regime’s possible interest in diverting anger and attention southward, in the direction of Israel, is not hard to fathom.

Defence Minister Ehud Barak, commenting on the Syrian situation yesterday, said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had “lost his legitimacy.”  Amr Musa, the Secretary-general of the Arab League, described the situation in Syria as extremely grave, stressing that it is a matter for concern and anger from all Arab states, in particular with the rising number of casualties. “Though their views differ, Arab states are all worried, angry and actively monitoring the current crisis in Syria,” he said in a statement. “What we are hearing and monitoring, about many victims falling, indicates great tumult in Syria … The situation in Syria should not be left in this state,” Musa underlined.