Since 2011, hundreds of thousands of refugees from Syria’s civil war have settled in Germany, a country that prides itself on its success in overcoming its historic legacy of anti-Semitism. But they have brought with them an anti-Semitism of their own, the product of many decades of government indoctrination. Rawan Osman, himself a Damascus native who now resides in Strasbourg, writes:

The influence of anti-Semitism is perhaps most overtly visible in Syria’s foreign policy; the Baathist regime has unapologetically supported terrorist organizations, such as Hamas and Hizballah, that target Israeli civilians. The regime’s backing of these organizations should not be miscategorized as support for the Palestinian cause—the horrific state of the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in the southern outskirts of Damascus shows the Syrian regime’s blatant disregard for Palestinian lives. Rather, support for these terrorist organizations should be seen as some combination of political expediency and real hatred of Jews.

[A]nti-Semitism is also endemic inside of Syria, and has taken root at every level of society. Religious leaders quote—out of historical and religious context—Quranic [passages] to drive this ideology of hate, while many Syrian intellectuals and artists adopt the dictatorship’s hateful rhetoric without question.

Syrian popular literature is one area that demonstrates the deep relationship between the Syrian state . . . and anti-Semitism. . . . But perhaps the best and most influential example of anti-Semitism in Syria since the start of Bashar al-Assad’s rule is the 29-part Syrian television series ash-Shatat—“The Diaspora.” The writers, along with some of the Syria’s most prominent actors, delivered an appalling compilation of anti-Semitic canards and libels, presenting Jews as the most wicked and immoral people on earth.

Yet while the German government has vowed to combat anti-Semitism, its threats so far have mainly consisted of unspecified consequences for individuals who attack German Jews. As a Syrian, I know that warnings alone are not enough to counter decades of anti-Semitic messaging. In the febrile minds of extreme anti-Semites, attacking Jews can be seen as an honorable and courageous act. In many cases, these individuals have been conditioned since birth to perceive the Jewish people as their enemy.

For more than a year, the Iran-backed Houthis have been launching drones and missiles at ships traversing the Red Sea, as well as at Israeli territory, in support of Hamas. This development has drastically curtailed shipping through the Suez Canal and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, driving up trade prices. This week, the Trump administration began an extensive bombing campaign against the Houthis in an effort to reopen that crucial waterway. Burcu Ozcelik highlights another benefit of this action:

The administration has a broader geopolitical agenda—one that includes countering China’s economic leverage, particularly Beijing’s reliance on Iranian oil. By targeting the Houthis, the United States is not only safeguarding vital shipping lanes but also exerting pressure on the Iran-China energy nexus, a key component of Beijing’s strategic posture in the region.

China was the primary destination for up to 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports in 2024, underscoring the deepening economic ties between Beijing and Tehran despite U.S. sanctions. By helping fill Iranian coffers, China aids Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in financing proxies like the Houthis. Since October of last year, notable U.S. Treasury announcements have revealed covert links between China and the Houthis.

Striking the Houthis could trigger broader repercussions—not least by disrupting the flow of Iranian oil to China. While difficult to confirm, it is conceivable and has been reported, that the Houthis may have received financial or other forms of compensation from China (such as Chinese-made military components) in exchange for allowing freedom of passage for China-affiliated vessels in the Red Sea.