Afghanistan envoy meets Russia’s Kabulov as SCO opens door to observer role
The Ambassador of Afghanistan to Russia, Ghulam Hassan, has met with Zamir Kabulov, Moscow’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, to discuss deepening tie...
Not long ago, the idea of an openly religious gathering in a Damascus synagogue would have seemed unimaginable. Yet, with the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime late last year, the impossible has become reality.
Among those stepping back onto the worn stones of Damascus’s Old City was Rabbi Joseph Hamra, once a leading figure in Syria’s dwindling Jewish community. Accompanied by his son Henry, Hamra returned home after more than three decades in exile. With the help of the Syrian Emergency Task Force—a Washington-based advocacy group supporting Syria’s democratic transition—the father and son made their way to the Elfrange (Faranj) Synagogue, where history was made.
For the first time since the 1990s, Hebrew prayers echoed within the synagogue’s ancient walls.
"The last time I prayed here was before I left for America," said the 77-year-old rabbi, his voice thick with emotion. "Now, after 34 years, I stand here again."
Hamra was the last rabbi to leave Syria in the 1990s, part of a mass exodus that saw the country’s Jewish population plummet. Once numbering around 5,000, only a handful remained after the Syrian government eased travel restrictions in 1992. Today, just seven elderly Jews are believed to live in Damascus.
The visit, however, was more than just a personal homecoming. Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, expressed hope that the delegation’s presence would encourage more Syrian Jews to return and help make the case for Washington to lift the sanctions imposed during Assad’s rule.
Moustafa also pointed to a broader objective: signalling that Syria’s new authorities were serious about their pledges to protect minorities.
For decades, Syria’s Jewish community had lived under heavy restrictions. While Hafez al-Assad allowed religious practice, he barred most Jews from leaving the country, fearing they harboured sympathies for Israel. Bashar al-Assad maintained an image of protecting minorities, but the outbreak of civil war in 2011 effectively erased Jewish life from public view. Synagogues across the country shut down, and the historic Jobar Synagogue—a site of pilgrimage for Jews worldwide—was looted and left in ruins.
Now, as the Assad’s grip has been broken, Syria faces an uncertain future. The new authorities have vowed to build an inclusive Syria, but deep scepticism remains.
For community elder Bakhour Chamntoub, however, Hamra’s return offered a moment of joy.
"I need Jews with me in the neighborhood," Chamntoub said in the Jewish quarter. "For nearly 40 years, I haven’t prayed with others. The feeling is indescribable."
As the prayers concluded, a quiet optimism lingered in the air. Whether Syria’s Jewish community can truly be reborn remains uncertain. But for now, in a synagogue that had stood silent for years, faith has found its voice once more.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
Kazakhstan has resumed oil exports via the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline. KazMunayGas said through its press service that a shipment of 8,800 tonnes of Kashagan oil was dispatched from the port of Aktau on the 13 September.
The long-awaited Zangezur Corridor in Azerbaijan, is set to become a vital transit artery—integrating the Turkic world and revitalising the Middle Corridor trade route stretching from the Far East to Europe according to Türkiye's Trade Minister Omer Bolat.
TEKNOFEST opened its doors on Wednesday (17 September) at Istanbul Ataturk Airport, bringing together technology lovers, innovators, and entrepreneurs.
Around 300 local and international media representatives will be accredited at the Media Centre established by the Baku City Circuit Operations Company to cover this year’s Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said during a press briefing in Adjara that some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have engaged in anti-state activities and attempted to instigate revolutionary processes with the support of foreign funding.
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