(Institute for Contemporary Affairs-Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Pinhas Inbari - The current upheavals in the Middle East are producing new demographic realities. In Syria the Alawite-Shiite components are gaining strength. The Syrian ethnic-cleansing policy includes the Palestinians in Syria, where the regime is systematically destroying the refugee camps to cause Sunni emigration. The Sunnis in Syria are leaving for Lebanon and undermining Hizbullah's status. The influx of Sunni refugees in Jordan from Syria and Iraq has led to a reduction in the relative weight of the Palestinians, diminishing the "Jordan is Palestine" threat. The West Bank is undergoing emigration pressures which will certainly be copied in Gaza if emigration is allowed. Some minority communities in the Levant and in Libya are expressing a positive attitude toward Israel and repudiating pan-Arabism. The writer, a veteran Arab affairs correspondent who formerly reported for Israel Radio and Al Hamishmar newspaper, currently serves as an analyst for the Jerusalem Center.
2014-06-18 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive