Syria… When the Land Refuses to Submit Once Again

**Syria… When the Land Refuses to Submit Once Again**

For a full century, Syria has known exactly what it means for a foreign occupier to set foot on its soil. When Yusuf al-Azma confronted the French at Maysalun, he wasn’t defending the borders of a state as much as he was protecting the dignity of Syrians. The Battle of Maysalun did not triumph militarily, but it was the first clear declaration that this people — no matter how defeated, divided, or starved — will not allow a stranger to lay his hand on their land. From yesterday’s Frenchmen, to today’s Israelis, and through every intrusive militia in between… Syrian soil has refused to become a prize.

And today, after years of fragmentation, successive occupations, and the rise of new butchers like al-Joulani and those like him, Syria repeats the same message: **the land is not for sale. And the people — no matter how silent — do not die from within.**

**What happened in Beit Jinn? And why does it matter?**

An Israeli force, heavily armed, stormed the occupied village of **Beit Jinn** to carry out a kidnapping operation targeting two brothers from the town. The occupation forces assumed that the “new Syria” — torn, weakened, ruled by competing militias — would swallow the humiliation.

But the people of the town did what no one expected: They opened fire. They did not wait for a decision from Joulani’s government. They no longer asked whether there was a “state” or “institutions.” They acted in a manner befitting a land that knows the meaning of occupation.

Six Israeli soldiers and officers were injured, three of them critically. The invading Humvee burned inside the town itself — a scene Syria had not witnessed in years.

The occupation’s response was madness: indiscriminate shelling, a massacre, twelve martyrs — among them a young man preparing to walk into his wedding hall.

But one thing became clear: **Syria — despite the ruin — has not surrendered.**

**The significance of this event: beyond the fire and smoke**

This is not a mere local clash. It is the **first armed act of resistance from inside occupied Syrian territory** since Israel seized large parts of the south following the collapse of the Syrian state.

More importantly: The people acted outside the “Joulani system,” outside factional calculations, and outside the imposed balance of power on the ground.

This means that the occupation — with all its strength — has failed to turn Syrians into a people stripped of will.

It signals that **nations, not militias, determine the future of occupation.**

**What does this mean for Joulani’s government?**

Joulani’s government, built essentially on the bargain of “security in exchange for authority,” now faces its worst nightmare: **a resistance created by ordinary people, not armed factions.**

This event threatens Joulani’s existence on three levels:

**1. The collapse of the illusion of control**

If the people of a small village can fire on an occupying force, it means Joulani’s authority is superficial — he does not truly control the land he claims to rule.

**2. The fall of the “stability” narrative**

Joulani built his legitimacy on being the “guardian of the borders.” But what remains of that legitimacy when Israeli units enter a Syrian village and conduct kidnappings without any official response?

**3. A direct threat to his regional and international ties**

Joulani has tried to present himself as a tacit ally to the West against what he calls “terrorism.” But any popular movement against occupation exposes him as nothing more than a tool — not a statesman.

In short: **Beit Jinn is a political earthquake for Joulani.**

**What does it mean for the Axis of Resistance?**

After the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon and Syria’s fall to occupation and extremist factions, it seemed as if the Axis of Resistance was living its final moments. But what happened in Beit Jinn reveals three new truths:

**1. Resistance can rise from the ashes**

It does not need to be an institution, a party, or an army. It can begin with a village… and expand.

**2. Syria has not become a neutralized arena** Israel assumed the battle was over, that Syrians were too consumed by hunger and division. But the confrontation in Beit Jinn shows that the occupation has not “won” yet.

**3. Yemen was the first to recognize the signal**

The Houthis’ statement was not diplomatic courtesy. It was a message to the region: **“If a spark is born inside Syria, there will be hands ready to carry it.”**

This event reopens the file of Syrian resistance — a file many thought permanently closed.

**How did the region react?**

Three types of responses emerged:

**1. The Axis of Resistance (Yemen, Iraq, Iran before its recent political collapse)**

They saw in the event a “return of the spirit” to Syria. Ansar Allah’s statement was the clearest: support, praise, and an affirmation that resistance never dies.

**2. The Arab regimes that normalized relations with Israel**

They remained silent, fearing any spark that might spread to their own streets.

**3. Jordan and the Gulf**

Deep anxiety about a potential “spread of the resistance contagion” to their borders, especially amid growing public anger toward normalization.

**How did the world react?**

The West treated the incident as a “security disturbance,” not an act of resistance. Israeli media was shocked that a small village could injure six trained soldiers. International organizations repeated the usual line about the “need for restraint” — a phrase that has become a bitter joke in our region.

Behind the scenes, however, there is real fear that southern Syria could turn into **a second Gaza**: shantytowns, siege, popular resistance, and a permanent embarrassment for the occupation.

**Do we foresee a new wave of resistance in Syria?**

Yes — in fact, it is highly likely.

Not because military forces are ready; they are broken. But because **occupation, historically, breeds its own resistance.**

Beit Jinn was the first spark. And the occupation knows that small sparks are the ones that burn empires.

Syria’s resistance against the French was born in small villages. And today, resistance to the Israeli occupation may be born in the same way: a village, a family, a rifle, a cry… and then an entire geography begins to change.

**Conclusion**

Yes… Syria is living the darkest moments in its history. Yes… the state has collapsed. Yes… Hezbollah is in a stage of recovery. And yes… Joulani, the killer of yesterday, now sits in the seat of power.

But one thing has not fallen: **Syrians’ refusal of the foreigner.**

Beit Jinn is not a military battle. It is a declaration… that Syria — no matter how torn apart — will never be an easy trophy for anyone who imagines himself above history.

**🔵**[Link to the article in Arabic ](https://t.me/almuraqb/263)