International Viewpoint - online socialist magazine

Where is Ahmad al-Chareh's Syria heading?

Jean Batou, Joseph Daher — 2026-02-11T20:01:48Z

“Daher provides an update on the worrying developments under Ahmad al-Chareh's new government. He also highlights the opportunities opening up for working people and social movements, provided they prove capable of resisting sectarianism and ethnic discrimination.”

- IVP613 - February 2026 / Syria

Should Kurdish freedoms be sacrificed for Syria's centralisation?

Joseph Daher — 2026-01-28T14:29:18Z

Despite a ceasefire between al-Sharaa's government & SDF, the president is not providing enough assurances that Syrian Kurds are protected.

- IVP612 - January 2026 / Syria, Kurdistan

Why Syria needs better governance...and a new kind of opposition

Joseph Daher — 2025-12-13T06:48:00Z

Syria's post-Assad leadership is failing its people, igniting protests over poverty & inequality. Joseph Daher reflects on a year under Ahmed al-Sharaa.

- IVP611 - December 2025 / Syria

Hamas After 7 October: Resistance and Challenges

Joseph Daher — 2025-10-19T08:50:49Z

Following Ismail Haniyeh's assassination by Israel in Tehran on 31 July 2024 he was succeeded as head of Hamas' political bureau for the whole movement by Yahya Sinwar, who had led Hamas' political bureau for the Gaza Strip since 2017. According to Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official in Beirut, speaking to al-Jazeera, this choice was adopted ‘unanimously'. Sinwar himself was killed by Israeli occupation forces, apparently unaware of his identity, on 17 October 2024.

- Features / Palestine

Syria's future won't be secure through Israel normalisation

Joseph Daher — 2025-08-24T16:55:56Z

As al-Sharaa leads Syria further towards normalisation with Israel, Joseph Daher argues that alignment with the US & its allies won't bring lasting stability.

- IVP607 - August 2025 / Syria, Israel

Lebanon's Sovereignty Battle Isn't Just Over Arms

Joseph Daher, Sami Atallah, Sami Zoughaib — 2025-08-21T15:00:06Z

“When citizens see the state not as an enforcer but as a guarantor of rights, Lebanon will have moved from asserting sovereignty to constructing it.”

- IVP607 - August 2025 / Lebanon

Suweida Under Fire: The Consolidation of Power in Damascus, and Sectarianism

Joseph Daher — 2025-08-01T15:46:28Z

“In this context, the recent events in Suweida demonstrate, once again, that Syria is not experiencing a democratic and inclusive political transition. Rather, it is a process of establishing a new authoritarian regime, structured and led by HTS, under the guise of institutional and international legitimacy.”

- IVP607 - August 2025 / Syria

Three Requisites for Syria's Reconstruction Process

Joseph Daher — 2025-05-18T20:55:20Z

For the country's revival to be successful after years of war, inclusion of the population and democratization during the transitional period will be necessary, or national cohesion may be undermined.

- Features / Syria

Syria's Economic Transition: From Kleptocracy to Islamic Neoliberalism in a War-Torn Economy

Joseph Daher, Zaki Mehchy — 2025-03-28T13:10:54Z

In its first decade in power and before the conflict, Bashar al-Assad's regime adopted neoliberal-oriented economic policies, such as price liberalisation for many essential goods, market deregulation, and a significant extension of the private sector. This was accompanied by austerity measures without genuine institutional reform, which resulted in greater social injustice, decreased productivity, and widening income disparity.

- Features / Syria, Economy

Free Syria scares Israel, that's why it sows hatred and occupies

Joseph Daher — 2025-03-21T10:00:26Z

Israel has a vested interest in keeping Syria weak and fragmented, especially now that the people can openly show support for Palestine, says Joseph Daher.

- Features / Palestine, Syria, Israel, Features