Coincidence? Naaah...

29 Elul 5778

Erev Rosh Hashanah
Motzaei"sh

מִי־זֶ֣ה ׀ בָּ֣א מֵאֱד֗וֹם חֲמ֤וּץ בְּגָדִים֙ מִבָּצְרָ֔ה זֶ֚ה הָד֣וּר בִּלְבוּשׁ֔וֹ צֹעֶ֖ה בְּרֹ֣ב כֹּח֑וֹ אֲנִ֛י מְדַבֵּ֥ר בִּצְדָקָ֖ה רַ֥ב לְהוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃

Who is this coming from Edom, In crimsoned garments from Batzrah— Who is this, majestic in attire, Pressing forward in His great might? “It is I, who contend victoriously, Powerful to give triumph.”

This broke out during the week of the haftarah which just happens to mention Batzrah?  There are no coincidences.

The major uprising in Basra and southern Iraq is what the world should be worrying about in the Middle East right now

The current protests in Iraq are the most serious seen in the country for years, and are taking place at the heart of some of the world’s largest oilfields. The Iraqi government headquarters in Basra was set ablaze, as were the offices of those parties and militias blamed by local people for their wretched living conditions. Protesters have blockaded and closed down Iraq’s main sea port at Umm Qasr, through which it imports most of its grain and other supplies. Mortar shells have been fired into the Green Zone in Baghdad for the first time in years. At least 10 people have been shot dead by security forces over the last four days in a failed effort to quell the unrest.

If these demonstrations had been happening in 2011 during the Arab Spring then they would be topping the news agenda around the world. As it is, the protests have so far received very limited coverage in international media, which is focusing on what might happen in the future in Idlib, Syria, rather than on events happening now in Iraq.

And speaking of Idlib......

Everything you need to know about the looming battle for Idlib

On September 7, a three-way summit in Tehran failed to produce a clear agreement between Russia, Turkey and Iran on the fate of Syria's Idlib province, the last stronghold of the Syrian armed opposition.

A ceasefire suggested by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was rejected and a fully-fledged government offensive now seems imminent, in what is expected to be Syria's deadliest battle yet.

Idlib is the last barrier standing between the Syrian government and its military victory against a rebellion that began more than seven years ago.

...Five major players are likely to decide what happens next in Idlib: the Syrian government and its allies Iran and Russia, as well as Turkey and the United States.