Much has been made recently of Syria’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and their openness to normalizing relations with Israel. The specifics of this interest are more and more public, as a letter Syria submitted to the US has been made public.
The letter has made it clear that the Syria poses no threat to Israel, and the US list of demands for Syria leaned heavily into placating Israeli interests. The letter addressed multiple US demands, but it stopped short on a number of points, including the expulsion of all foreign Islamists, which given the HTS’ ideology would amount to a substantial part of their new government.
They also wanted talks with the US on some of the key points, including the banning of Palestinian groups. The HTS recently arrested some Palestinian militant figures operating in Syria, and that was seen as a good faith measure for the US, but it’s not clear how far that will extend to banning Palestinian groups period, especially those that aren’t militant factions.
Normalization with Israel would be a big thing for the US to tout as a success in their engagement, but the potential obstacle is Israel’s stance. Since taking credit for the HTS takeover of Syria, Israel has vilified the HTS, and used their control as a pretext for a ground invasion.
That’s an ongoing invasion and occupation, and HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has strong enough feelings about the matter that he even broached the subject in a recent meeting with US Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R – IN).
Rep. Stutzman says that Sharaa cited Israeli plans to divide Syria, which Stutzman notes “he was very opposed to.” Though the representative only presented Sharaa’s concerns as based on the belief that Israel was planning to divide Syria, Israeli officials have been fairly open in recent months that partition is the ultimate goal, whether it’s aimed at creating a Druze state in the south or a Kurdish state in the northeast.
The partition plan has been rejected by much of the Arab world, and it is also part of why tensions are growing between Israel and Turkey. For Syria, obviously, the partition is a more real and immediate concern, especially after over a decade of civil war.
Though Rep. Stutzman expressed support for the idea of Syria remaining unified, it’s not clear that when push comes to shove, the US interest in a unified Syria will trump the US interest in keeping Israel happy. Partition is likely to remain a concern so long as Israeli occupation forces remain in Syria, and until the matter is resolved, normalization too is likely to remain out of reach.
Syria was a moderate state and not hostile.
Now that the zionists have been bombing it, and Syria does not respond, how could anyone imagine Syria is the threat, when Israel is the threat?
They don't have any effective weapons to threaten Israel with…!
israel is a bonafide threat to everyone else!!! But again, there ya go with the 'rules for thee but NOT for me and my lil' psycho https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8ed1f3c414f70cceeb87451d83b82e953976dac48d5ecd5431d6608f7912cc0d.jpg -buddy
israel is a bonafide threat to everyone else!!! But again, there ya go with the 'rules for thee but NOT for me and my lil' psycho https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8ed1f3c414f70cceeb87451d83b82e953976dac48d5ecd5431d6608f7912cc0d.jpg -buddy
There was a schism in Al Qaeda that saw the formation of ISIL / ISIS / Daesh, over whether the West should be destroyed first THEN a Caliphate established (Al Q position) or a Caliphate established first THEN the West destroyed (Daeshi'i position). With the Apartheid State of Israel included in "the West".
It seems HTS has further subdivided Al Qaeda into a new splinter group – one setting "Caliphate Lite" as a quiet first step, the destruction of the ASI as an intentionally delayed goal, and the destruction of the West eventually a focus somewhere in between.
Israel worked ceaselessly for years to depose Assad in favor of radical Islamists. Now that their efforts have come to fruition, the Israelis are unhappy.
Oscar Wilde held that there are two tragedies in life: one tragedy is when you don't get what you ask for, the other tragedy when you do get what you ask for.