ISRAEL OPENS BORDER FOR HUMANITARIAN AID DELIVERIES INTO SYRIA: For the first time since the Syrian civil war began, Israel’s government authorized the delivery of humanitarian aid into Syrian territory near its border, an American-Israeli businessman and philanthropist who leads the project disclosed this week. “Israel agreed to allow in three types of aid: medical, educational and food,” said Moti Kahana, a businessman and founder of the NGO Amaliah. The aid is being brought to the Israeli border with Syria, but no Amaliah employees are going into Syria, he explained. The aid is being transferred into what Kahana calls a “safe zone” adjacent to the border and comprised of the town of Quneitra and its surrounding area. Asked how the aid is going to be transferred into Syria and whether the IDF is going to insure security for the delivery, Kahana responded, “the IDF knows who to trust.” Questioned about the influence of ISIS and al-Qaida’s Nusra Front in the Quneitra area, he said that it is imperative to get educational supplies to the children there so that they can be in school and not be brainwashed and join radical Islamist groups. For the last five years, no schools have been functioning in this region. Sources in the Free Syrian Army coalition active in the area tell Kahana that the area is fairly calm and the locals are trying to uphold a safe zone. “This is a good opportunity to help and show them that their neighbors are wonderful people,” he said. (J.Post)