It’s often said that power is the only language that is truly understood in the Middle East. If so, this week manifested expressions of power and its abuse in three different yet interrelated ways. Assad’s “Trial” Six days ago, the half-century-long Assad family dynasty came to a staggering and shocking end. Early Sunday morning, December 8, the Syrian government fell in a stunning end to the Assad family rule. A sudden rebel offensive sprinted across government-held territory and entered the capital, dethroning the previously untouchable regime. The rule of Hafez el-Assad, from 1970 to 2000, and the brutal dictatorship of his son Bashir el-Assad, from 2000 to 2024, left more than a half million people dead and more than 11 million displaced and should be compared to the murderous regimes of Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot. When Hamas arch-terrorist Yahya Sinwar masterminded the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped 250 people, he attempted to wield a devastating, potentially even mortal blow to Israel, perceived to be weakened by internal divisions. Sinwar, who was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza a year later, likely could not have imagined that. Instead, his plan set in motion a cascade of events that would bring down longtime Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and weaken the Iranian “Axis of Resistance” alliance to which Hamas belongs. Hamas’s October 7th attack on Israel escalated into Israel’s invasion of Gaza, Israel’s war with Hezbollah, as well as direct military confrontations between Israel and Iran. A weakened and distracted Iranian alliance was thus vulnerable to a siege of power by the rebels from the group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (the “Movement for the Liberation of the Levant,” or HTS – the former al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria regarded by the US and others as a terrorist organization). Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of course, claimed credit for starting the chain of events that led to the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. “This is a historic day in the history of the Middle East,” he said during a visit to Mount Bental on Israel’s border with Syria. “The Assad regime is a central link in Iran’s axis of evil — this regime has fallen. This is a direct result of the blows we have inflicted on Iran and Hezbollah, the main supporters of the Assad regime,” Netanyahu contended, referencing the 14 months of combat against Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Iranian proxies since October 7 of last year. Netanyahu hearkened back to the “Good Neighbor” policy Israel pursued at the height of the Syrian civil war when the country provided medical treatment to thousands of Syrians and sent thousands of tons of humanitarian goods into the country. “Hundreds of Syrian children were born here in Israel,” he noted. There is no question that the fall of the Assad regime is a net positive for the world. It has dealt a significant blow to the network of Iranian terror aimed at destroying the State of Israel and becoming the main Shi’ite Islamic power in the region. The Syrian route between Tehran and Lebanon was essential for Iran’s weapons pipeline to Hezbollah. We know that many of the weapons Hezbollah used against Israel in the recent war came through Tehran’s entrenchment in Syria. Iran’s proxy control of Syria also included setting up weapons production centers on Syrian soil that fed both Hezbollah and tens of thousands of Shi’ite militiamen stationed in Syria. No tears will be shed for the fallen Assad regime. The Syrian people have been victims of Assad’s brutality, barbarism, and corruption for far too long. Few in the West have championed the cause of the Syrian people – nowhere in comparison to those who have taken up and supported the Palestinian cause. But just because Assad is out, it does not mean that all is well for the Syrian people, and we know that Israel cannot and has not let its guard down. Assad was the dictator that Israel knew, and now the group HTS led by former Islamist Mohammad al-Julani (Golani) presents new challenges. Israel has, of course, wasted no time in heavily bombarding Syria’s military bases and weapons-producing sites in order to prevent such stockpiles, military equipment, and even chemical weapons from falling into the hands of those who seek Israel’s harm. Israel will need to remain very vigilant and will need support from the United States and the international community to ensure that any activity does not spill over into its borders.   Netanyahu’s Trial In the midst of unprecedented power shifts in Syria this week, we also witnessed an unprecedented occurrence in Israel. For the first time in Israel’s history, a sitting Prime Minister took the witness stand as a defendant in his own criminal trial. Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, finally took the stand to respond to accusations of bribery, fraud, and corruption that have defined and disrupted Israeli public life for nearly a decade. He dazzled the courtroom with a long and flowery speech, bringing historical examples of world leaders who were ousted for political reasons, painting a picture of himself as a selfless emissary of the public who has in mind only the good of the people and the good of the State. Much attention was paid to how many highly classified notes could be passed to him during the trial, making a spectacle that, as a sitting Prime Minister during wartime, the trial needed to be interrupted for him to weigh in on timely decisions. Netanyahu has demonstrated that he will pull every political lever and cross every taboo and redline to maintain his hold on the premiership. Leaders with even an ounce of integrity would have resigned or put themselves on leave the moment their indictment came through. While Assad’s abuse of power was toppled by rebels and guns, Netanyahu’s alleged abuse of power will be adjudicated in a court of law.   Dina’s Trial From Torah we learn that abuse of power is an age-old problem. In this week’s Parashat VaYishlach, we read the story of Dina (Genesis Ch. 34). As IMPJ CEO Anna Kislanski, wrote: “This coming Shabbat, we recount the story of Dina. It is the first instance of sexual violence mentioned in the Bible — a stark violation of human rights. In just a single verse (Genesis 34), the brutal act is described, capturing its swift and devastating impact on the life of an innocent girl. This year, we face profound challenges: how do we speak about human rights, emotional and sexual protection in a time of war, when our most basic rights have been violated, and when emotional security across Israel and the region have been so deeply shaken? We think every day of the hostages still held in Gaza, including 16 young women among them. What remains of their human rights and dignity? In what state is their emotional and sexual protection? As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, we are painfully reminded of the war’s toll on the rights of all people caught in its midst—Israelis and Palestinians.” Our Israeli Reform Movement has joined with other Jewish organizations in Israel and around the world in the “Dina Partnership” – an initiative started by “Bnot Dina” (“The Daughters of Dina”) from Maram (the Israeli Council of Reform Rabbis) and which aims to raise awareness about emotional and sexual violence and to stand united in support of every victim and survivor. To hear more about this, I recommend listening to this week’s episode of Just For This podcast with WRJ CEO Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch featuring MK Shelly Tal Meron. They discuss the creation, following October 7, of the Hostage Family lobby in Israel and ways to continue to call attention to the sexual violence that has persisted since the beginning of the war and how it is used as a weapon of war. It’s often said that power is the only language that is truly understood in the Middle East. If so, this week manifested expressions of power and its abuse in three different yet interrelated ways all of which require our concern and vigilance.