#160 - What In The World Is Going On With Syria And The Kurds? (Jenia Frumin)

We’ve talked about the Syrian Civil War a lot on the podcast, but today it seems even more relevant than ever. When civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, the United States was very wary of getting itself embroiled in another conflict in the Middle East. With Iraq and Afghanistan and trying to solve the longest standing conflict in the Middle East, the Israeli - Palestinian conflict, the US had enough on their plates. But when you’re the most powerful nation on Earth, it’s hard to stay neutral. Recently, President Trump announced that he would be leaving Syria, clearing the way for a Turkish incursion, and leaving the Kurds in Syria to fend for themselves. This caused a bit of a stir to say the least. But what was the extent of America’s involvement in Syria? How big of a step was this actually? And what does this mean for the future of a conflict that has been raging on for almost a decade? Today, we’re joined by Jenia Frumin. Jenia is an Masters student of Middle Eastern studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and formerly a fellow at the Shaharit Institute a thinktank that seeks to build bridges between Israel’s various communities. Jenia is also a senior guide at the L.A. Mayer Museum of Islamic Art and an occasional speaker on subjects related to Middle Eastern history and modern day Russia. We’re excited to be hosting Jenia to talk about the recent events in Syria’s civil war.