Recent developments in northern Syria, in Rojava, are not merely part of a regional conflict: they are testing the very limits of security, identity, and international conscience in the Middle East.
The threats faced by the Kurds and the limited response from global public opinion once again demonstrate how vital it is to properly understand the Kurdish question. At the same time, these events help explain why a historical, memory-based, and security-driven solidarity between Kurds and Jews is increasingly being discussed.
For many Kurds today, the issue is not simply military defense or political status – it is about the ability to exist, to preserve identity, and to secure the future. This search has deep parallels with the historical experience of the Jewish people. Kurdish-Jewish rapprochement should therefore be seen not as an emotional affinity but as a realist understanding of security shaped by historical experience.
The political map of the Middle East has been drawn over suppressed identities and denied peoples. Throughout the twentieth century, the Kurds were divided among four states, subjected not only to physical fragmentation but also to intellectual and cultural disintegration. The banning of their language, the criminalization of their culture, and their exclusion from political representation left deep wounds in collective memory. Yet history teaches another lesson as well: repression does not always produce submission. More often, it produces consciousness.
One of the most significant turning points in this awakening was the Anfal campaign in Iraq. The operations carried out by the regime of Saddam Hussein were part of a systematic strategy aimed at the mass destruction of the Kurds.
The chemical attack in Halabja was not only a massacre but also a moment that exposed the limits of the international order. The world’s silence in the face of this tragedy fundamentally reshaped how the Kurds view the global system.
A similar historical rupture can be seen in the Jewish experience. Centuries of exile, pogroms, and ultimately the Holocaust revealed the reality that security cannot be entrusted solely to external actors. This lesson formed the foundation of Zionism and found political expression in the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
Today, Kurds are increasingly asking a similar question: can security and survival be left to the goodwill of others?
Kurdish diaspora is becoming more organized
Developments in Rojava show that this is not a theoretical issue but an existential one. It is therefore not surprising that the Kurdish diaspora is becoming more organized globally, diplomatic initiatives are increasing, and strategic alliances are gaining importance.
At this point, Kurdish-Jewish relations are acquiring a new strategic dimension. At first glance, Kurds may be perceived as the “weaker link” in such an alliance. Israel, with its regional and military capabilities, institutional strength and diplomatic networks, is undoubtedly the stronger actor. Yet historical strategy rarely depends on short-term power balances, but is shaped by long-term transformations.
The Kurds, with their large population, their geographic position, and their increasingly influential diaspora, have the potential to become a decisive factor in the future of the Middle East. Moreover, the idea of national unity within Kurdish society is being debated today more strongly than at perhaps any other time in modern history. Growing efforts toward coordination and unity among diverse Kurdish political movements signal the emergence of a new era.
From a long-term perspective, supporting Kurdish efforts toward political unity and institutionalization could generate significant outcomes not only for the Kurds but also for regional stability. A strong, stable, and democratic Kurdish political structure could contribute to transforming the security architecture of the Middle East. This, in turn, could create strategic depth and new partnership opportunities for Israel.
Strategic thinking often requires looking beyond current power realities. Today’s fragile partnerships may become tomorrow’s strongest alliances. History is full of such examples. Kurdish-Jewish solidarity should therefore be understood not as a short-term convergence of interests but as a long-term vision of security and survival.
In this context, the role of media and international public discourse also deserves attention. Kurdish circles increasingly criticize what they perceive as selective sensitivity in parts of Western media. Publications such as the German magazine Der Spiegel have been at the center of these debates in relation to their coverage of Syria. Similar controversies emerged after the attacks carried out by Hamas on October 7, 2023, in discussions surrounding Israel’s security policies. The blurring of the line between legitimate criticism and antisemitism poses a serious risk to democratic values.
The future of the Middle East can be built not on old hostilities but on shared security and mutual recognition. A strong and lasting partnership between Kurds and Jews could offer a new paradigm not only for these two peoples but also for regional stability.
History is a harsh teacher. But when its lessons are learned, it becomes the most powerful tool for shaping the future. The call rising from Rojava is not only the voice of one region – it is the call of all societies that take memory and security seriously: to build the future not on short-term calculations but on long-term vision.
The writer is a Kurdish exiled journalist, political analyst, and Middle East observer focusing on Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Kurdish affairs. a.mardin@icloud.com