US Army: We do not know how long we will stay in Syria

The commander of the US Central Command, General Kenneth McKenzie, said he does not know how long his country's soldiers will remain in Syria. He also claimed that the mission of US forces in Syria is to end ISIS.

The commander of the US Central Command "Centcom", General Kenneth McKenzie, said that he does not know how long his country's soldiers will remain in Syria, and that this depends on decision-makers in Washington.

This came in a video conference held by the US Department of Defense, "Pentagon", on Friday, to assess developments in the Middle East.

He stressed that the US forces are present in Iraq at the invitation of the Baghdad government, noting that the latter wants to maintain the military presence not only of the United States, but also of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

He stressed that all arrangements related to the US forces in Iraq will be carried out in consultation with the Baghdad government, adding: "Of course we want a security cooperation agreement that is normal in the future and deployed in the long term."

McKenzie claimed that their mission in Syria was to completely eliminate the terrorist organization ISIS.

He referred to the prisons in which refugees and ISIS members are held in the areas occupied by the terrorist organization YPG/PKK under the name “Syrian Democratic Forces” in Syria, saying: “I do not know how long we will remain in Syria, and in the end this will be a political decision by the American administration.” based on the field situation.

In response to a question about the possibility of a threat against US forces in Syria from elements backed by Moscow or Russian forces due to their attack on Ukraine, McKenzie said: “I spoke with leaders in Syria and Iraq, and they are ready for anything that could happen, and we saw no indication about the intention of Russia escalates tension in Iraq or Syria, but we are ready if something like this happens."

Hundreds of flak jackets were stolen on their way from New York to Ukraine

New York police said they had detected a burglary at the US Committee of Ukraine's headquarters, where "about 400 bulletproof vests were removed from their place."

Between 300 and 400 flak jackets donated by police officers to a Ukrainian-American NGO that was to be sent to Ukraine, the New York Police Department and the organization in question have announced.

A New York Police spokeswoman told AFP that a burglary was observed at the headquarters of the NGO "American Committee of the Ukrainian Council" (UCCA) in southern Manhattan, where "about 400 bulletproof vests were removed from their place."

"No one has been arrested, and the investigation is continuing," she said.

A spokesman for the non-governmental organization confirmed to AFP that "about a third of the bulletproof vests disappeared at the beginning of this week, but neither the organization nor the police know the identity of the party responsible for this operation, its cause, nor the way in which it occurred."

These used jackets were provided by the Long Island Police, which includes the Brooklyn and Queens neighborhoods in New York, and were to be sent to humanitarian actors in Ukraine and the border areas in this country to transport aid by truck, according to a spokesperson for the organization.

The same organization said that it supervises the work of dozens of Ukrainian-American organizations in the United States, where between 1.2 million and 1.5 million Ukrainians or Americans of Ukrainian origin live.

Since the Russian attack on Ukraine, many American organizations, especially on the east coast of the United States, have been mobilized to collect donations and transport aid to Eastern Europe, including food, clothing, hygiene products, medicine, and light non-lethal military equipment, including flak jackets and helmets.

In March, the US government and Congress approved $13.6 billion in emergency aid to Ukraine, including 2.6 billion in humanitarian aid, $1.4 billion in support of refugees fleeing Ukraine, and $6.5 billion in military aid.

Will Ukraine's Jewish refugees turn into settlers in the occupied territories of Palestine?

An opinion article published by the British "Middle East Eye" website said that the Ukrainian refugees who fled the war in their country to Israel, will turn overnight into new settlers in the occupied territories of Palestine.

An opinion article recently published by "Middle East Eye" pointed out that Israel plans to invest in the Russian-Ukrainian war, to enhance its "demographic advantage" in "Historic Palestine".

Since the beginning of the Russian military attack on Ukraine, the Israeli authorities have asked Ukrainian Jews to immigrate to Israel, where they will be provided with shelter, food, and protection, and they will live on land that was taken from the Palestinians, in violation of international law.

The Israeli government launched Operation Arvot Israel (Israeli Guarantees), which relies on the Law of Return that guarantees Jews from any part of the world instant citizenship on the basis of their religion.

The article states that, as was the case during World War II, it is not only the Jews who face the catastrophe of war in Eastern Europe. Ukraine's population of 44 million faces an existential threat as Russian forces attack their country with horrific ground forces and air strikes.

The Israeli Ministry of Immigration said earlier: “We invite the Jews of Ukraine to immigrate to Israel, your homeland.”

For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett described "Israel" as "a haven for the afflicted Jews," saying: "Our mission, we will do this sacred mission again."

The settlement division of the World Zionist Organization has also said that it will build temporary accommodation for those who choose to immigrate to the occupying country. For her part, the Israeli Minister of Immigration, Pnina Tamano Shata, said that "the fate of the Jews of Israel and the fate of the Jews of the Diaspora are closely linked."

"Once the government's decision is adopted, members of the settlement division will be ready to implement it immediately," said Yishai Merling, head of the settlement division of the World Zionist Organization.

He added that "the ongoing fighting in Ukraine and the atmosphere of uncertainty require the State of Israel to prepare to absorb immigrants from Ukraine," noting that "Israel must bear the responsibility of the Jewish communities there. This is what Israel did in the past, and this is what the Jewish state must do today.”

According to the latest count, at least 467 Ukrainian Jews immigrated to Israel. It is estimated that about 40,000 people in Ukraine consider themselves Jews, including President Volodymyr Zelensky. Like their predecessors who arrived a century ago, they will eventually adopt the Zionist belief that the land was empty, the report said.

Meanwhile, Israeli Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked said this week that about 100,000 Ukrainian Jews may arrive in Israel in the coming days and become "citizens."

The report says, the same people who have just fled war, hunger and foreign occupation today will turn, overnight, into settlers and colonizers. They will simply enter Israel's system of institutional segregation and discrimination, known as apartheid.