Elizabeth Tsurkov's banner

Elizabeth Tsurkov

@LizHurra • 106,264 subscribers

Freedom appreciator. Passionate about human rights. Senior Fellow @MidEastPolicy focusing on the Levant. @PUPolitics PhD candidate. 'حسن الظنّ راحة القلب'

Shorts

The Lebanese Army was deployed to al-Baysariyah, southern Lebanon, after clashes erupted between locals (likely linked to Amal) and Hezbollah members. According to several media outlets including al-Arabiya, the clashes stemmed from Hezbollah placing rocket launchers between civilian homes. According to a largely credible local Lebanese outlet, a-Dawla, the tensions stemmed from Amal members dismantling part of Hezbollah's communications network in the village, fearing its presence will lead to Israel striking the town. Since Hezbollah launched the 6 rockets at Israel, it has faced unprecedented criticism from within the Shia community about this ill-fated decision that brought destruction and death upon the community

The Lebanese Army was deployed to al-Baysariyah, southern Lebanon, after clashes erupted between locals (likely linked to Amal) and Hezbollah members. According to several media outlets including al-Arabiya, the clashes stemmed from Hezbollah placing rocket launchers between civilian homes. According to a largely credible local Lebanese outlet, a-Dawla, the tensions stemmed from Amal members dismantling part of Hezbollah's communications network in the village, fearing its presence will lead to Israel striking the town. Since Hezbollah launched the 6 rockets at Israel, it has faced unprecedented criticism from within the Shia community about this ill-fated decision that brought destruction and death upon the community

42,301 views

أهلاً وسهلاً على تويتر بمارك سفايا مبعوث الولايات المتحدة للعراق الجديد Mark Savaya مارك لعب دوراً هاماً في تحريري من قبضة كتائب الحثالة بعد ٩٠٣ يوماً في الأسر دون إعطاء أي مقابل.

أهلاً وسهلاً على تويتر بمارك سفايا مبعوث الولايات المتحدة للعراق الجديد Mark Savaya مارك لعب دوراً هاماً في تحريري من قبضة كتائب الحثالة بعد ٩٠٣ يوماً في الأسر دون إعطاء أي مقابل.

309,791 views

An airstike on a car in Babel Province, Iraq, killed the senior Kataeb Hezbollah commander Abu Hasan al-Fraiji. He was also a commander within the Popular Mobilization Forces, killed in a PMF car, received a state salary, while taking orders from Iran to target Iraqi Kurdistan

An airstike on a car in Babel Province, Iraq, killed the senior Kataeb Hezbollah commander Abu Hasan al-Fraiji. He was also a commander within the Popular Mobilization Forces, killed in a PMF car, received a state salary, while taking orders from Iran to target Iraqi Kurdistan

110,986 views

17-year-old Dhulfiqar Muhammad Hijazi from Harat Hreik, the Dahya of Beirut, was killed fighting in the ranks of Hezbollah. He is a Mahdi scout, the scouting organization of Hezbollah, which it uses to indoctrinate and recruit youth into the ranks of the militia. Multiple scouts have been killed in this war fighting in the ranks of Hezbollah. See for example Hezbollah had also set up branches of the Mahdi Scouts in Syria when Assad was still in power to recruit Syrian youth into the ranks of Syrian Hezbollah

17-year-old Dhulfiqar Muhammad Hijazi from Harat Hreik, the Dahya of Beirut, was killed fighting in the ranks of Hezbollah. He is a Mahdi scout, the scouting organization of Hezbollah, which it uses to indoctrinate and recruit youth into the ranks of the militia. Multiple scouts have been killed in this war fighting in the ranks of Hezbollah. See for example Hezbollah had also set up branches of the Mahdi Scouts in Syria when Assad was still in power to recruit Syrian youth into the ranks of Syrian Hezbollah

36,107 views

Iraqis celebrating in Baghdad this morning after Iraq qualified for the football World Cup at a game held 6AM Iraq time. They chant "we're brothers, Sunnis and Shia and we won't betray/sell this homeland". Iraqis are united in their rabid love for football. Congratulations 🇮🇶

Iraqis celebrating in Baghdad this morning after Iraq qualified for the football World Cup at a game held 6AM Iraq time. They chant "we're brothers, Sunnis and Shia and we won't betray/sell this homeland". Iraqis are united in their rabid love for football. Congratulations 🇮🇶

67,761 views

According to local sources, the Israeli Army is deforesting newly occupied areas in northern Quneitra to create line-of-sight for its forces, but won't allow Sunni villagers from Jubatha al-Khashab & Tranjeh to at least collect the firewood, but is allowing Druze villagers from Hadher to collect it.

According to local sources, the Israeli Army is deforesting newly occupied areas in northern Quneitra to create line-of-sight for its forces, but won't allow Sunni villagers from Jubatha al-Khashab & Tranjeh to at least collect the firewood, but is allowing Druze villagers from Hadher to collect it.

117,458 views

Iraqis have been receiving text messages and calls addressing militia members, telling them that their commanders abandoned them to die while they're hiding far from the action (which is 100% true). However, the messages are teaching many Iraqis who aren't militia members...

Iraqis have been receiving text messages and calls addressing militia members, telling them that their commanders abandoned them to die while they're hiding far from the action (which is 100% true). However, the messages are teaching many Iraqis who aren't militia members...

34,471 views

The Israeli Army has been documented today carrying out demolitions of homes in Aita a-Shaab and al-Khiyam, border towns in Lebanon. Today, Israeli sources told Suleiman Maswadeh סולימאן מסוודה (Israeli Ch 11) they intend to "turn the Lebanese border towns into Khan Younis," i.e., destroy all structures left standing there. Much is unclear about the military operations in southern Lebanon due to OPSEC considerations of both Israel & Hezbollah. However, such demolitions require transporting the explosives and trapping the structures. This requires time & complete operational control to prevent attacks on forces as they're surrounded by explosives. Video source: Yinon Magal Photos source:

The Israeli Army has been documented today carrying out demolitions of homes in Aita a-Shaab and al-Khiyam, border towns in Lebanon. Today, Israeli sources told Suleiman Maswadeh סולימאן מסוודה (Israeli Ch 11) they intend to "turn the Lebanese border towns into Khan Younis," i.e., destroy all structures left standing there. Much is unclear about the military operations in southern Lebanon due to OPSEC considerations of both Israel & Hezbollah. However, such demolitions require transporting the explosives and trapping the structures. This requires time & complete operational control to prevent attacks on forces as they're surrounded by explosives. Video source: Yinon Magal Photos source:

15,750 views

Videos

Anya Rossi

sweetdream.ai

SweetDream.ai•Sponsored•Livecam

Watch Anya Live

Anya is streaming live right now! Join her private show and enjoy exclusive content.

Exclusive private shows

1.2k viewers online

Private Show

Join now for exclusive access

Free preview available • Premium content

في "الأربعاء الأسود" حينما قصفت إسرائيل 100 هدف في 10 دقائق، حاولت أن أفهم عبر البحث على فيسبوك وإنستغرام أي نسبة من الضحايا كانوا مدنيين، وأي نسبة كانوا من عناصر الحزب. فحصت لعدّة أيام صفحاتٍ مؤيدة للحزب بحثًا عن إعلانات الشهادة. منذ ذلك الحين، أصبحت خوارزميات فيسبوك متأكدة أنني لا أهتمّ بشيء غير إعلانات الشهادة، ولذلك أصبح الـ Feed الخاص بي سلسلة لا متناهية من هذه الإعلانات. هناك عشرات الإعلانات يوميًا. آلاف من شباب الحزب قد قُتلوا، ومن المؤكّد أن هناك مصابين أيضًا. غير تدمير المدن والقرى والأرزاق بيد إسرائيل، فإن موت كل هؤلاء الشباب هو نكبة بحدّ ذاتها للمجتمع الشيعي اللبناني. هذه حرب عبثية. كل هذه التضحيات لم تُحقّق شيئًا يُذكر. عدد قتلى إسرائيل الإجمالي هو 34، أي ثلث قتيل في اليوم بشكل متوسط. إسرائيل مستمرة في تقدّمها وتدميرها. كيف يمكن مشاهدة هذا التقتيل وعدم إيقافه؟ لماذا تسترخص قيادة الحزب حياة أولئك الشباب؟ هذه خمس دقائق من الـ scrolling في الـ feed الخاص بي (هناك بعض البوستات الغير متعلقة بالحزب).

في "الأربعاء الأسود" حينما قصفت إسرائيل 100 هدف في 10 دقائق، حاولت أن أفهم عبر البحث على فيسبوك وإنستغرام أي نسبة من الضحايا كانوا مدنيين، وأي نسبة كانوا من عناصر الحزب. فحصت لعدّة أيام صفحاتٍ مؤيدة للحزب بحثًا عن إعلانات الشهادة. منذ ذلك الحين، أصبحت خوارزميات فيسبوك متأكدة أنني لا أهتمّ بشيء غير إعلانات الشهادة، ولذلك أصبح الـ Feed الخاص بي سلسلة لا متناهية من هذه الإعلانات. هناك عشرات الإعلانات يوميًا. آلاف من شباب الحزب قد قُتلوا، ومن المؤكّد أن هناك مصابين أيضًا. غير تدمير المدن والقرى والأرزاق بيد إسرائيل، فإن موت كل هؤلاء الشباب هو نكبة بحدّ ذاتها للمجتمع الشيعي اللبناني. هذه حرب عبثية. كل هذه التضحيات لم تُحقّق شيئًا يُذكر. عدد قتلى إسرائيل الإجمالي هو 34، أي ثلث قتيل في اليوم بشكل متوسط. إسرائيل مستمرة في تقدّمها وتدميرها. كيف يمكن مشاهدة هذا التقتيل وعدم إيقافه؟ لماذا تسترخص قيادة الحزب حياة أولئك الشباب؟ هذه خمس دقائق من الـ scrolling في الـ feed الخاص بي (هناك بعض البوستات الغير متعلقة بالحزب).

Elizabeth Tsurkov

140,039 views • 6 days ago

The Lebanese Army was deployed to al-Baysariyah, southern Lebanon, after clashes erupted between locals (likely linked to Amal) and Hezbollah members. According to several media outlets including al-Arabiya, the clashes stemmed from Hezbollah placing rocket launchers between civilian homes. According to a largely credible local Lebanese outlet, a-Dawla, the tensions stemmed from Amal members dismantling part of Hezbollah's communications network in the village, fearing its presence will lead to Israel striking the town. Since Hezbollah launched the 6 rockets at Israel, it has faced unprecedented criticism from within the Shia community about this ill-fated decision that brought destruction and death upon the community

The Lebanese Army was deployed to al-Baysariyah, southern Lebanon, after clashes erupted between locals (likely linked to Amal) and Hezbollah members. According to several media outlets including al-Arabiya, the clashes stemmed from Hezbollah placing rocket launchers between civilian homes. According to a largely credible local Lebanese outlet, a-Dawla, the tensions stemmed from Amal members dismantling part of Hezbollah's communications network in the village, fearing its presence will lead to Israel striking the town. Since Hezbollah launched the 6 rockets at Israel, it has faced unprecedented criticism from within the Shia community about this ill-fated decision that brought destruction and death upon the community

Elizabeth Tsurkov

42,301 views • 12 days ago

Mahmoud Qamati, the senior Hezbollah leader, explicitly threatens the Lebanese government with civil war in a new interview. He says that the leadership of Hezbollah only sent about 10% of its fighters to the front with Israel, keeping 'tens of thousands' of Hezbollah militiamen to protect the militia against internal threats; meaning, efforts by the Lebanese state to implement the Lebanese government decision to ban the military activities of Hezbollah. A few weeks ago, the Israeli news website Walla! reported that Hezbollah has a plan in place to take over Beirut. The article doesn't explain under which scenario Hezbollah will carry out the coup, but Qamati's threats in the interview make it clear that the militia intends to respond to efforts to disarm the militia with overwhelming force. Qamati's words also explain one of the big mysteries of the ongoing war - Hezbollah's poor performance. Hezbollah is able to kill less Israelis per day than Hamas was able to during the nearly two-year ground war in the Gaza Strip (in Lebanon: 23 soldiers + 4 civilians divided by 86 days = 0.31 killed Israelis per day; In Gaza 472 soldiers killed in 2 years of ground operations, about 0.65 Israelis killed per day). Hamas is obviously a smaller militia & operated in a highly unfavorable environment without any constraints on Israel's use of force. The answer is that Hezbollah simply does not prioritize fighting Israel. It did lose "several thousands" of fighters in the current war, according to 2 Hezbollah officials quoted by Reuters on May 3, but it has many more forces it could have thrown to the front to try to liberate the 6% of Lebanese territory the militia ceded to Israel's occupying forces. However, Hezbollah's top priority, and where Hezbollah put 90% of its forces, is to counter efforts of the Lebanese state to disarm the militia and end its era of dominance through the use of weapons. This decision aligns perfectly with Hezbollah's record: the militia has killed more Lebanese than it ever killed Israelis to ensure its dominance over Lebanon and the Shia sect in Lebanon. See The full interview (The translation is automatic and not ideal, but gets the gist across)

Mahmoud Qamati, the senior Hezbollah leader, explicitly threatens the Lebanese government with civil war in a new interview. He says that the leadership of Hezbollah only sent about 10% of its fighters to the front with Israel, keeping 'tens of thousands' of Hezbollah militiamen to protect the militia against internal threats; meaning, efforts by the Lebanese state to implement the Lebanese government decision to ban the military activities of Hezbollah. A few weeks ago, the Israeli news website Walla! reported that Hezbollah has a plan in place to take over Beirut. The article doesn't explain under which scenario Hezbollah will carry out the coup, but Qamati's threats in the interview make it clear that the militia intends to respond to efforts to disarm the militia with overwhelming force. Qamati's words also explain one of the big mysteries of the ongoing war - Hezbollah's poor performance. Hezbollah is able to kill less Israelis per day than Hamas was able to during the nearly two-year ground war in the Gaza Strip (in Lebanon: 23 soldiers + 4 civilians divided by 86 days = 0.31 killed Israelis per day; In Gaza 472 soldiers killed in 2 years of ground operations, about 0.65 Israelis killed per day). Hamas is obviously a smaller militia & operated in a highly unfavorable environment without any constraints on Israel's use of force. The answer is that Hezbollah simply does not prioritize fighting Israel. It did lose "several thousands" of fighters in the current war, according to 2 Hezbollah officials quoted by Reuters on May 3, but it has many more forces it could have thrown to the front to try to liberate the 6% of Lebanese territory the militia ceded to Israel's occupying forces. However, Hezbollah's top priority, and where Hezbollah put 90% of its forces, is to counter efforts of the Lebanese state to disarm the militia and end its era of dominance through the use of weapons. This decision aligns perfectly with Hezbollah's record: the militia has killed more Lebanese than it ever killed Israelis to ensure its dominance over Lebanon and the Shia sect in Lebanon. See The full interview (The translation is automatic and not ideal, but gets the gist across)

Elizabeth Tsurkov

67,411 views • 22 days ago

أرسلتُ الفيديو لبعضٍ من أصدقائي العرب القلقين بعدما شاهدوا إعلام المحور الإيراني. انا بخير. تل أبيب ليست مدمرة، فالحياة شبه طبيعية بفضل قلة إطلاقات الصواريخ. في الـ12 يوماً الأولى للحرب الحالية، أطلقت إيران 250 صاروخاً على إسرائيل، أي تقريباً 47% مما أُطلق في حرب الـ12 يوماً.

أرسلتُ الفيديو لبعضٍ من أصدقائي العرب القلقين بعدما شاهدوا إعلام المحور الإيراني. انا بخير. تل أبيب ليست مدمرة، فالحياة شبه طبيعية بفضل قلة إطلاقات الصواريخ. في الـ12 يوماً الأولى للحرب الحالية، أطلقت إيران 250 صاروخاً على إسرائيل، أي تقريباً 47% مما أُطلق في حرب الـ12 يوماً.

Elizabeth Tsurkov

73,243 views • 3 months ago

Tartous, December 8, 2024. The joy on the face of the man slapping Hafez's head with a shoe.

Tartous, December 8, 2024. The joy on the face of the man slapping Hafez's head with a shoe.

Elizabeth Tsurkov

33,836 views • 1 month ago

28 years Hijri years ago, Ayatollah Muhammad Sadiq a-Sadr and 2 of his sons were gunned down in Najaf. Saddam's regime initially allowed Sadr to operate and build a massive socio-religious movement of Iraq's impoverished and working-class Shia , seeing him as a counterweight to religious scholars of Iranian origin. However, as Sadr's movement grew and hundreds of thousands began attending Friday prayers led by him and dozens of his deputies across Iraq, he became bolder in his criticism of Saddam's regime, railing against corruption and poor services, and even implied that Saddam's rule is illegitimate. Following Sadr's assassination, the regime executed, jailed and drove into exile the leadership of the movement, but in 2003, the U.S. invasion allowed this massive popular movement a space to operate once again, now under the leadership of Muqtada Sadr, his son. Memoirs and interviews with US officials working on the Iraq file after the invasion indicate that the U.S. was shocked to learn about this massive movement. The U.S. was in contact with the exiled opposition, which lacked a popular base inside Iraq, while the Sadrist Current was concentrated in Iraq. Today, the Sadrist Current is the only Iraqi political movement that has a genuine massive popular base, unlike other parties that rely heavily on clientelism to buy loyalty and votes. The core of this base are people who joined the Sadrist Current in the 1990s and their descendants. As a result, the Sadrist Current was able to survive despite quitting the government and parliament in 2021, thus losing a great deal of access to patronage goods it can distribute. In the video: mourning ceremony in Kut, al-Wasit Province, 2 days ago, marking the 28th anniversary of Sadr's killing.

28 years Hijri years ago, Ayatollah Muhammad Sadiq a-Sadr and 2 of his sons were gunned down in Najaf. Saddam's regime initially allowed Sadr to operate and build a massive socio-religious movement of Iraq's impoverished and working-class Shia , seeing him as a counterweight to religious scholars of Iranian origin. However, as Sadr's movement grew and hundreds of thousands began attending Friday prayers led by him and dozens of his deputies across Iraq, he became bolder in his criticism of Saddam's regime, railing against corruption and poor services, and even implied that Saddam's rule is illegitimate. Following Sadr's assassination, the regime executed, jailed and drove into exile the leadership of the movement, but in 2003, the U.S. invasion allowed this massive popular movement a space to operate once again, now under the leadership of Muqtada Sadr, his son. Memoirs and interviews with US officials working on the Iraq file after the invasion indicate that the U.S. was shocked to learn about this massive movement. The U.S. was in contact with the exiled opposition, which lacked a popular base inside Iraq, while the Sadrist Current was concentrated in Iraq. Today, the Sadrist Current is the only Iraqi political movement that has a genuine massive popular base, unlike other parties that rely heavily on clientelism to buy loyalty and votes. The core of this base are people who joined the Sadrist Current in the 1990s and their descendants. As a result, the Sadrist Current was able to survive despite quitting the government and parliament in 2021, thus losing a great deal of access to patronage goods it can distribute. In the video: mourning ceremony in Kut, al-Wasit Province, 2 days ago, marking the 28th anniversary of Sadr's killing.

Elizabeth Tsurkov

38,587 views • 1 month ago

ראיון מינואר השנה עם דימא צאדק, עיתונאית שיעית מהעיירה אל-ח'יאם. היא חזתה בו את הפלישה הישראלית ללבנון והזהירה את הקהילה השיעית מפניה. היא ידועה בהתנגדותה לחזבאללה, וסובלת מאיומים יומיומיים על חייה מקרב תומכי הארגון. אלו מילים שראוי שיקשיבו להן מקבלי ההחלטות בישראל הסבורים שגירוש האוכלוסייה מדרום לבנון, כיבוש העיירות והכפרים והחרבתן איכשהו יביא לפירוק חזבאללה מנשקו (כץ התבטא בנושא במפורש כ"גורם ביטחוני בכיר" לאתר וואלה!). תרגום שלי: "הדבר האחרון שמעניין את חזבאללה זה האיזור שישראל תיקח. הלוואי שאנשי הדרום יתעוררו ויראו את האמת הזו. עבור חזבאללה, [שימור] נשקו חשוב מתושבי הדרום. עבור חזבאללה, האידיאולוגיה שלו, הנשק שלו, האינטרס של איראן חשובים הרבה יותר מאדמת הדרום ואנשי הדרום. חזבאללה התמודד עם מאות שהידים בדרום, מבחינתו של פרט שולי, שאין סיבה להזכירו. הוא רואה את איראן, הוא לא רואה אותנו". כיבוש השטח מדרום לליטני או אף צפונית לו לא ישנה את מהות חזבאללה ואת סדרי העדיפויות שלו. סבל אנושי של הקהילה השיעית אינו מעניין אותו. בלי מהלך מדיני, ישראל תיצור רצועת ביטחון ב' ותשאר שם, ודווקא תחזק את עמדת חזבאללה שטוען שהנשק וההתנגדות נחוצים למען שחרור הדרום הכבוש.

ראיון מינואר השנה עם דימא צאדק, עיתונאית שיעית מהעיירה אל-ח'יאם. היא חזתה בו את הפלישה הישראלית ללבנון והזהירה את הקהילה השיעית מפניה. היא ידועה בהתנגדותה לחזבאללה, וסובלת מאיומים יומיומיים על חייה מקרב תומכי הארגון. אלו מילים שראוי שיקשיבו להן מקבלי ההחלטות בישראל הסבורים שגירוש האוכלוסייה מדרום לבנון, כיבוש העיירות והכפרים והחרבתן איכשהו יביא לפירוק חזבאללה מנשקו (כץ התבטא בנושא במפורש כ"גורם ביטחוני בכיר" לאתר וואלה!). תרגום שלי: "הדבר האחרון שמעניין את חזבאללה זה האיזור שישראל תיקח. הלוואי שאנשי הדרום יתעוררו ויראו את האמת הזו. עבור חזבאללה, [שימור] נשקו חשוב מתושבי הדרום. עבור חזבאללה, האידיאולוגיה שלו, הנשק שלו, האינטרס של איראן חשובים הרבה יותר מאדמת הדרום ואנשי הדרום. חזבאללה התמודד עם מאות שהידים בדרום, מבחינתו של פרט שולי, שאין סיבה להזכירו. הוא רואה את איראן, הוא לא רואה אותנו". כיבוש השטח מדרום לליטני או אף צפונית לו לא ישנה את מהות חזבאללה ואת סדרי העדיפויות שלו. סבל אנושי של הקהילה השיעית אינו מעניין אותו. בלי מהלך מדיני, ישראל תיצור רצועת ביטחון ב' ותשאר שם, ודווקא תחזק את עמדת חזבאללה שטוען שהנשק וההתנגדות נחוצים למען שחרור הדרום הכבוש.

Elizabeth Tsurkov

47,664 views • 2 months ago

According to local sources, the Israeli Army is deforesting newly occupied areas in northern Quneitra to create line-of-sight for its forces, but won't allow Sunni villagers from Jubatha al-Khashab & Tranjeh to at least collect the firewood, but is allowing Druze villagers from Hadher to collect it.

According to local sources, the Israeli Army is deforesting newly occupied areas in northern Quneitra to create line-of-sight for its forces, but won't allow Sunni villagers from Jubatha al-Khashab & Tranjeh to at least collect the firewood, but is allowing Druze villagers from Hadher to collect it.

Elizabeth Tsurkov

117,458 views • 7 months ago

More and more bodies are being interned in Hezbollah's cemeteries, as videos from recent days show. Men the militia's leadership threw into a fight against a military foe that far outmatches its capabilities. Only a leadership that considers the lives of these men dispensable could start such an insane Don Quixotic war.

More and more bodies are being interned in Hezbollah's cemeteries, as videos from recent days show. Men the militia's leadership threw into a fight against a military foe that far outmatches its capabilities. Only a leadership that considers the lives of these men dispensable could start such an insane Don Quixotic war.

Elizabeth Tsurkov

15,147 views • 1 month ago

Hama celebrates the anniversary of its liberation from the Assad regime, one year ago yesterday. In 1982, the Hafez al-Assad regime massacred tens of thousands of civilians & razed entire neighborhoods to crush a small-scale uprising in the city. Video by Amjad Alsari

Hama celebrates the anniversary of its liberation from the Assad regime, one year ago yesterday. In 1982, the Hafez al-Assad regime massacred tens of thousands of civilians & razed entire neighborhoods to crush a small-scale uprising in the city. Video by Amjad Alsari

Elizabeth Tsurkov

41,258 views • 6 months ago

من ملعب الرمادي قبل بضعة أيام، أثناء مباراة بين نادي الكرمة المحلي ونادي الناصرية، يهتفون: "إخوان سنة وشيعة، هذا الوطن ما نبيعه". السوشال ميديا عامةً وفي العراق تعطي صدىً أكبر للأصوات المتطرفة التي تبث التفرقة، لكن في العالم غير الافتراضي، نادراً ما سمعتُ أي شيء طائفي من العراقيين الذين قابلتهم في كل أنحاء البلد ومن جميع الطوائف والأعراق: سنة، شيعة، كُرد، كاكائيين، إيزيديين ومسيحيين. ما يجمع العراقيين أكثر بكثير مما يفرقهم: التاريخ المشترك، العادات والتقاليد، القيم الاجتماعية، الكرم، القلوب المفتوحة، حب الضيف، شدة المشاعر، العفوية، إلى آخره. الطائفية لا تخدم أحداً غير الحكام الطائفيين في المنطقة، الذين يشدون عصب أبناء طائفتهم أو ديانتهم عبر تخويفهم من الآخر.

من ملعب الرمادي قبل بضعة أيام، أثناء مباراة بين نادي الكرمة المحلي ونادي الناصرية، يهتفون: "إخوان سنة وشيعة، هذا الوطن ما نبيعه". السوشال ميديا عامةً وفي العراق تعطي صدىً أكبر للأصوات المتطرفة التي تبث التفرقة، لكن في العالم غير الافتراضي، نادراً ما سمعتُ أي شيء طائفي من العراقيين الذين قابلتهم في كل أنحاء البلد ومن جميع الطوائف والأعراق: سنة، شيعة، كُرد، كاكائيين، إيزيديين ومسيحيين. ما يجمع العراقيين أكثر بكثير مما يفرقهم: التاريخ المشترك، العادات والتقاليد، القيم الاجتماعية، الكرم، القلوب المفتوحة، حب الضيف، شدة المشاعر، العفوية، إلى آخره. الطائفية لا تخدم أحداً غير الحكام الطائفيين في المنطقة، الذين يشدون عصب أبناء طائفتهم أو ديانتهم عبر تخويفهم من الآخر.

Elizabeth Tsurkov

21,053 views • 3 months ago

Protest in Damascus yesterday against the deal the Syrian authorities cut with Muhammad Hamsho, one of the most notorious Assad-era war-profiteers. Under the deal, Hamsho would hand a share of the wealth he generated through plunder, in exchange for a pardon. On the gov committee reaching agreements with Assad-era cronies, many of them under global sanctions

Protest in Damascus yesterday against the deal the Syrian authorities cut with Muhammad Hamsho, one of the most notorious Assad-era war-profiteers. Under the deal, Hamsho would hand a share of the wealth he generated through plunder, in exchange for a pardon. On the gov committee reaching agreements with Assad-era cronies, many of them under global sanctions

Elizabeth Tsurkov

29,176 views • 5 months ago

جزء من مقابلتي باللغة العربية لقناة إيران إنترناشيونال-عربي حول دعم إيران لترشيح المالكي لمنصب رئيس الوزراء، وهو المنصب الذي فقده المالكي بعدما أدّت سياساته المفسدة والطائفية إلى سقوط ثلث العراق بيد داعش خلال أسبوعين.

جزء من مقابلتي باللغة العربية لقناة إيران إنترناشيونال-عربي حول دعم إيران لترشيح المالكي لمنصب رئيس الوزراء، وهو المنصب الذي فقده المالكي بعدما أدّت سياساته المفسدة والطائفية إلى سقوط ثلث العراق بيد داعش خلال أسبوعين.

Elizabeth Tsurkov

23,362 views • 4 months ago

הופעה שלי היום ב כאן חדשות על גירוש השגריר האיראני מלבנון, הצורך במהלך מדיני מול הממשלה הלבנונית ולמה על ישראל לחדול מלפגוע בתשתיות המדינה הלבנונית

הופעה שלי היום ב כאן חדשות על גירוש השגריר האיראני מלבנון, הצורך במהלך מדיני מול הממשלה הלבנונית ולמה על ישראל לחדול מלפגוע בתשתיות המדינה הלבנונית

Elizabeth Tsurkov

16,668 views • 2 months ago

ראיון איתי הבוקר ל כאן חדשות על לבנון, סוריה ועיראק: מדוע מאזן הכוחות הנוכחי בלבנון מונע את פירוק חזבאללה מנשקו דרך מו"מ עם ממשלת לבנון; למה שליט סוריה אינו מהווה איום לישראל; ומדוע המיליציות בעיראק משגרות כטב"מים לעבר ישראל אך אינן נוטלות אחריות על כך.

ראיון איתי הבוקר ל כאן חדשות על לבנון, סוריה ועיראק: מדוע מאזן הכוחות הנוכחי בלבנון מונע את פירוק חזבאללה מנשקו דרך מו"מ עם ממשלת לבנון; למה שליט סוריה אינו מהווה איום לישראל; ומדוע המיליציות בעיראק משגרות כטב"מים לעבר ישראל אך אינן נוטלות אחריות על כך.

Elizabeth Tsurkov

17,125 views • 3 months ago

Muhammad al-Deek, a Syrian Army low-ranking commander, was killed on January 26, 2026, while dismantling mines near Kobani. I've been friends with Muhammad for years, and communicated with him throughout the recent Syrian Army offensive against Arab-majority areas under SDF control. He constantly wished for an agreement to be reached, so that no more blood was spilled. Muhammad spent most of his adult life fighting and was tired of war. He lost many relatives and friends. He barely saw his wife and three young beautiful daughters. Muhammad was a former rebel, forcibly displaced to northern Aleppo from his home in Rastan, Homs, in 2018, after years living besieged by the regime. Afterwards, due to lack of better employment options, he joined one of the Turkish proxy groups, and would complain to me (and give quotes for my publications) about the profiteering and abuses of these groups. During the battle that brought down the regime, he was one of the thousands of fighters from Turkish proxy groups who disobeyed the Turks' orders to focus on fighting the SDF, and rushed to participate in the battle to liberate his hometown. Here is a video he had sent me, hugging his mother and relatives, for the first time in 6.5 years, after regime forces fled Rastan. May you rest in peace, Muhammad.

Muhammad al-Deek, a Syrian Army low-ranking commander, was killed on January 26, 2026, while dismantling mines near Kobani. I've been friends with Muhammad for years, and communicated with him throughout the recent Syrian Army offensive against Arab-majority areas under SDF control. He constantly wished for an agreement to be reached, so that no more blood was spilled. Muhammad spent most of his adult life fighting and was tired of war. He lost many relatives and friends. He barely saw his wife and three young beautiful daughters. Muhammad was a former rebel, forcibly displaced to northern Aleppo from his home in Rastan, Homs, in 2018, after years living besieged by the regime. Afterwards, due to lack of better employment options, he joined one of the Turkish proxy groups, and would complain to me (and give quotes for my publications) about the profiteering and abuses of these groups. During the battle that brought down the regime, he was one of the thousands of fighters from Turkish proxy groups who disobeyed the Turks' orders to focus on fighting the SDF, and rushed to participate in the battle to liberate his hometown. Here is a video he had sent me, hugging his mother and relatives, for the first time in 6.5 years, after regime forces fled Rastan. May you rest in peace, Muhammad.

Elizabeth Tsurkov

19,969 views • 4 months ago

تتمثل إحدى طرق إيهام محور إيران لجمهوره بالادعاء بأن إسرائيل تخفي القتلى في صفوف جيشها، لإقناعهم بأن حروب المحور ليست عبثية، بل تلحق خسائر فادحة بقوات الجيش الإسرائيلي. يدل هذا على جهل تام بطبيعة الجمهور الإسرائيلي وتمجيده لـ "شهداء" الجيش؛ فصور القتلى موجودة في كل مكان في إسرائيل، وآلاف الغرباء يحضرون جنائزهم (صورة من جنازة الجندي إيلان كوهين)، بينما ينشر الإعلام تقارير تمجيد عنهم لأيام بعد مقتلهم. ببساطة، ليس هناك قتلى سريون.

تتمثل إحدى طرق إيهام محور إيران لجمهوره بالادعاء بأن إسرائيل تخفي القتلى في صفوف جيشها، لإقناعهم بأن حروب المحور ليست عبثية، بل تلحق خسائر فادحة بقوات الجيش الإسرائيلي. يدل هذا على جهل تام بطبيعة الجمهور الإسرائيلي وتمجيده لـ "شهداء" الجيش؛ فصور القتلى موجودة في كل مكان في إسرائيل، وآلاف الغرباء يحضرون جنائزهم (صورة من جنازة الجندي إيلان كوهين)، بينما ينشر الإعلام تقارير تمجيد عنهم لأيام بعد مقتلهم. ببساطة، ليس هناك قتلى سريون.

Elizabeth Tsurkov

15,066 views • 3 months ago

A major US assault overnight on the base of the Kataeb Imam Ali militia in Kirkuk. The militia announced the death of 4 of its members, but it appears slightly higher according to pro-militia Telegram channels. The number of injured militiamen is significant, as some of the bombed buildings collapsed with the militiamen inside. Hospitals in Kirkuk asked the public for blood donations. This is one of 5 militia bases attacked by the US air force yesterday in Iraq. The militias have fired missiles and drones at US interests in Iraq, Jordan and Kuwait during the war. No loss of life on the US side. Sources

A major US assault overnight on the base of the Kataeb Imam Ali militia in Kirkuk. The militia announced the death of 4 of its members, but it appears slightly higher according to pro-militia Telegram channels. The number of injured militiamen is significant, as some of the bombed buildings collapsed with the militiamen inside. Hospitals in Kirkuk asked the public for blood donations. This is one of 5 militia bases attacked by the US air force yesterday in Iraq. The militias have fired missiles and drones at US interests in Iraq, Jordan and Kuwait during the war. No loss of life on the US side. Sources

Elizabeth Tsurkov

14,977 views • 3 months ago

جزاكم الله خيراً على عدم تغطية الوجوه 👍 من مظاهرات الميليشيات الخادمة لأيران اليوم في بغداد

جزاكم الله خيراً على عدم تغطية الوجوه 👍 من مظاهرات الميليشيات الخادمة لأيران اليوم في بغداد

Elizabeth Tsurkov

19,120 views • 5 months ago

Iftar in Jobar, Damascus yesterday. Assad regime forces, Iranian-backed foreign Shia militias & the Russian Air Force destroyed Jobar & depopulated it. Few residents returned since Assad's fall. Video by Omar a-Shami

Iftar in Jobar, Damascus yesterday. Assad regime forces, Iranian-backed foreign Shia militias & the Russian Air Force destroyed Jobar & depopulated it. Few residents returned since Assad's fall. Video by Omar a-Shami

Elizabeth Tsurkov

13,032 views • 3 months ago