Operation Good Neighbor - A Well-Remembered Humanitarian Initiative

 In mid-March 2011, demonstrations occurred across Syrian cities in opposition to the authoritarian regime in the country. Soldiers subsequently fired live ammunition on peaceful crowds at the command of Syrian President Bashar Assad, leaving dozens of casualties and instigating a civil war. Since then, the fighting has caused hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths and led to the displacement of millions of people, triggering a massive refugee and displacement crisis. In response to this crisis, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched Operation Good Neighbor.

Israeli aid organizations had engaged in occasional relief efforts since the civil war’s beginning, but the need for a dedicated Israeli operation became apparent in 2013 after a few wounded Syrians arrived at the Israel-Syria border seeking emergency medical assistance. The IDF subsequently began providing Syrian civilians with medical supplies in exchange for intelligence on any terrorist activity, but the humanitarian elements grew in scale as a consensus of a moral obligation to help formed. In 2016, the IDF formally established Operation Good Neighbor.

Through Operation Good Neighbor, the IDF's Northern Command spearheaded humanitarian efforts to aid refugees, internally displaced persons, and war-impacted communities on the Syrian side of the Israel-Syria border. It also facilitated cooperation between Jewish, Muslim, and Christian charities to help Syrians.

Operation Good Neighbor's humanitarian work focused on three areas. First, it delivered medical supplies and equipment to civilians across the border, transported people in need of critical medical care to Israeli hospitals, and established a field hospital near the border. Moreover, the IDF oversaw the construction of two clinics within Syria to expand treatment capabilities. Nongovernmental organizations and locals ran these clinics to care for those living near the Syrian city of Quneitra.

Operation Good Neighbor also provided civilian aid by distributing food, clothing, and baby supplies. Between 2016 and 2017 alone, the IDF delivered over 350 tons of food. The program’s third objective consisted of supporting infrastructure efforts through the transfer of generators, fuel for heating, water pipes to rebuild infrastructure, and equipment for setting up a temporary school.

While conducting these humanitarian efforts, the IDF maintained readiness by monitoring evolving military dynamics near Israel's border with Syria. Before Operation Good Neighbor disbanded, its members conducted a mission to rescue the White Helmets, a civil defense group comprising volunteer medical and emergency professionals. Labeled as terrorists and traitors by Assad's regime, the group had been attacked after Assad reclaimed control of territory on the Syrian side of the border. In September 2018, Operation Good Neighbor ceased its humanitarian operations due to the heightened danger.

What made Operation Good Neighbor а one-of-a-kind initiative was that it provided humanitarian relief to Syrian civilians despite poor diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Syrian government has long vilified Israeli and Jewish people, and the Israeli government considers Syria an enemy of the state in return. Operation Good Neighbor's humanitarian impact resonated with Syrian and Israeli communities. Many Israelis donated money and relief supplies, while others volunteered to deliver aid to Syrian civilians in the Golan Heights. Additionally, expressions of gratitude from Syrians who received assistance through the initiative indicate a shift in perspectives among the Syrian people of their neighboring country.