Photos: Hasan Belal, Wikicommons, and the digital library of the Alliance Israélite Universelle. Edit: Iva Covic-Chahine
In the maze of Damascus’s old city, Eid Samantov beams. The surprise departure of Bashar al-Assad six months earlier has brought a smile back to his face. At 74, he no longer watches his words. He no longer fears Abou Ibrahim, the all-powerful henchman of the former regime who used to rule the Jewish quarter with an iron fist.He is no longer afraid for his friends. He is no longer afraid at all. So he lets loose. Criticizing the powerful, openly displaying his religion, mentioning his daily calls with family in Tel Aviv... as if to make up for lost time hiding in the shadows, the man in his 70s shares everything."Benjamin Netanyahu, I like him. Without him, Israel would have disappeared long ago," he added.The Israeli prime minister has just launched a salvo of missiles at Iranian nuclear sites. The regional match is in full...
In the maze of Damascus’s old city, Eid Samantov beams. The surprise departure of Bashar al-Assad six months earlier has brought a smile back to his face. At 74, he no longer watches his words. He no longer fears Abou Ibrahim, the all-powerful henchman of the former regime who used to rule the Jewish quarter with an iron fist.He is no longer afraid for his friends. He is no longer afraid at all. So he lets loose. Criticizing the powerful, openly displaying his religion, mentioning his daily calls with family in Tel Aviv... as if to make up for lost time hiding in the shadows, the man in his 70s shares everything."Benjamin Netanyahu, I like him. Without him, Israel would have disappeared long ago," he added.The Israeli prime minister has just launched a salvo of missiles at Iranian nuclear sites. The regional match is in...