Israel Matzav

Al-Qaeda holding plundered Syrian Torah scrolls

The Jobar synagogue — said to be 2,000-years-old — was built on the site where the prophet Elijah is said to have concealed himself from persecution and anointed his successor, Elisha, as a prophet. It was badly damaged in March by mortars reportedly fired by Syrian government forces; some reports say the building was destroyed.

A source involved in negotiating for the release of the Judaica items and their extraction from Syria, speaking to The Times of Israel on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said the objects were being held inside Syria by a group affiliated with the Al-Nusra Front, an Islamist organization associated with al-Qaeda and defined as a terrorist organization by the US. He said the stolen items include at least three or four Torah scrolls as well as ancient Jewish scrolls and silverware.

“They took everything they could get their hands on,” the source said. “They want prisoners held by Assad [in exchange for them].”

The source said that Qatar may become involved in negotiating the release of the items as part of its diplomatic bid “to play both sides” and demonstrate negotiating capabilities with the Assad regime. Members of the expatriate Syrian-Jewish community are also reportedly involved in the talks.

“They [the Qataris] have a certain interest in showing that they can handle elements they usually don’t get along with … The Qataris like to play on all fields,” he said.

Only a handful of Jews remain in Syria as a remnant of an ancient community which numbered 4,000 as late as 1992.

Labels: al-Qaeda, Bashar al-Assad, Damascus, Nusra Front, Syria, Syrian uprising

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:52 AM