The Geopolitical Loophole: When 'Terrorism' Becomes a Feature, Not a Bug
When the Daily Sabah reported in 2026 on Israel hosting a YPG-affiliated representative, it highlighted a perceived double standard. The YPG, or People's Protection Units, is a significant component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and is viewed by Turkey as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and
the European Union for its decades-long insurgency. FIRST INSTANCE: Proxy Support in Lebanon (1970s) This isn't the first time Israel has cultivated relationships with groups considered problematic by its regional adversaries. During the Lebanese Civil War, from the mid-1970s onward, Israel openly supported various Christian militias, including the South Lebanon Army (SLA). These groups, while
aligned with Israel against the PLO and later Hezbollah, committed numerous human rights abuses and were considered illegitimate by most of the Arab world, with some factions engaging in documented acts of terrorism. The relationship was pragmatic, focused on creating a buffer zone and projecting influence, much like current proxy engagements (Source: Human Rights Watch, 1999). REPETITIONS:
Iran-Contra Affair and Afghanistan (1980s) A parallel can be drawn to the US's involvement in the Iran-Contra affair in the mid-1980s, where the Reagan administration secretly sold weapons to Iran (a designated state sponsor of terrorism) in exchange for the release of hostages and to fund anti-communist Contra rebels in Nicaragua. Similarly, during the Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989), the US