It is not just isolated voices advocating for normalization; the new Syrian government and its backers appear determined to establish ties with Israel, even as Israel continues its occupation of Syrian territory and the bombardment of what remains of its infrastructure. While apologists attempt to justify Damascus’s Israel-friendly comments, the writing on the wall has long been clear.
The new Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) backed Mayor of Damascus, Maher Marwan, stirred controversy last week when he called for normalization with Israel. Even though Damascus, the city he now governs, endures frequent Israeli airstrikes, Marwan defended his stance in an interview with NPR. “Our problem is not with Israel,” he stated, adding, “We don’t want to meddle in anything that will threaten Israel’s security.”
Following widespread public backlash, the HTS-led government in Damascus released a statement addressing Marwan’s remarks. The statement proclaimed that Marwan’s comments didn’t necessarily reflect the policies of the al-Jolani government, but it stopped short of explicitly denying his call for normalization with Israel.
The sentiments expressed by Marwan are consistent with those of Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmed al-Shara’a, known more commonly by his ISIS-associated moniker, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. Al-Jolani once said that Syrian territory must not be used as a launching pad for conflict with Israel. He emphasized, “We do not want any conflict, whether with Israel or anyone else.”
Israel’s existence is “a proven fact,” according to Syria’s new foreign minister, Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani, who has further stoked controversy by implying that, given the correct circumstances, talks would be possible. Both at home and abroad, this change in tone has been greeted with suspicion and anxiety.
During an interview with Channel 4 News, HTS spokesperson Obeida Arnaout refrained from providing a clear response when asked about the hundreds of Israeli attacks on Syrian territory. In the same vein, Arnaout avoided questioning and used evasive political jargon when 5 Pillars journalist Dilly Hussein pressed him on the subject.
HTS spokesman Obeida Arnaout is asked by Channel 4 News about Israel’s strikes on over 300 sites in Syria (latest update: 480 strikes). He refused to denounce Israel’s massive airstrikes and ground incursions. When pressed, he offered vague, general comments. pic.twitter.com/cetEisYXIs
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) December 11, 2024
Pro-Israeli Voices Of The “New Syria”
Although the majority of high-ranking officials in the HTS-led administration refrain from making categorical claims about Israel, they constantly stress that Iran and Hezbollah, not Israel, are Syria’s main enemies. Prominent members of the larger “Free Syria” movement, which supports HTS, have expressed similar views. Others have even gone so far as to demand that formal relations be established with Israel, a significant shift from Syria’s historical stance.
Ayman Al-Asimi, a senior member of the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) and former spokesperson for the Syrian opposition delegations during the Astana talks, made headlines with his remarks to BBC Arabic. He stated unequivocally that Syria’s only opponent is Iran. When pressed by the host on whether Israel is considered a friend or an enemy, Al-Asimi responded by saying Syria only has “friends or potential friends.”
In an interview with Israeli media outlet I24 News, Fahad al-Masri, the chairman of the Syrian National Salvation Front, made a telling declaration:
Once Bashar al-Assad’s government is overthrown, we want to see an Israeli embassy in the place of the Iranian embassy in Damascus.”
Al-Masri, who co-founded the Free Syria Army in February 2012, is a well-known member of the Syrian opposition. He has also been known to have ties to Western interests, such as receiving funding from the U.S. State Department to host an opposition program in Syria. During the country’s prolonged conflict, he was instrumental in facilitating coordination between Syrian opposition groups and French media.
During the HTS-led offensive to take Aleppo, al-Masri had additionally publicly appealed to Israel to help rebel groups overthrow the government of Syria. Notably, al-Masri has a well-documented habit of praising Israeli airstrikes on Syria.
Around the same period, Israel’s Channel 12 News aired an interview with a Syrian rebel officer who expressed optimism about regional relations in the aftermath of Bashar al-Assad’s potential overthrow. The officer stated that the rebel groups envisioned “peace and security with the entire region and with Israel.”
Former Israeli military intelligence officer Lt. Col. Mordechai Kedar revealed that he had maintained direct contact with Syrian rebel factions for some time. According to Kedar, these groups actively sought “peace” with Tel Aviv and even submitted requests for military support. “I passed on to senior officials in Israel a detailed list of equipment that they requested to receive from Israel,” he disclosed.
Another notable development was the sudden increase in the Free Syria Army (FSA) and other militant factions, allowing their fighters to engage with Israeli media and openly advocate for closer ties. In one instance, an FSA member from the southern Syrian city of Dara’a appeared on Israel’s Channel 11, stating, “We invite Israel to come to Syria and invest.” The overture came as Israeli forces were invading Syrian territory and forcibly expelling residents from their homes at gunpoint.
Even prominent Syrian journalists supportive of the HTS-led government, such as Hossam Taleb, have echoed similar sentiments, framing the current period as an “opportunity to achieve peace and security for Israel through a commitment to returning rights to Syria.”
On social media, prospective candidates for local government positions have openly called for normalization with Israel. Posts advocating for “the signing of a peace agreement between Israel and the new Syria” highlight the growing trend.
“We invite Israel to come to Syria and invest,” a FSA member in Daraa, Syria, tells Israeli outlet Channel 11.
“Dear neighbours and friends from the friendly state of Israel, I’m talking to you. The people of Daraa are joyous after Assad’s rule has been brought to an end.
I’m… pic.twitter.com/YTY9sy5R2M— In Context (@incontextmedia) December 7, 2024
“We have common interests”
Pro-Israeli statements from Syrian opposition figures are not a recent phenomenon. In 2016, Nabil al-Dandal—a former Brigadier General under Bashar al-Assad’s government who defected in 2012 to become a leader of the Free Syria Army—openly advocated for “peace with Israel” and sought support from Tel Aviv.
In an open letter to the Israeli Knesset, al-Dandal wrote, “We can cooperate; we have common interests. Our true enemies are the Iranians and the Islamic fundamentalists.”
Even American members of the Syria Lobby, such as Wa’el al-Zayat, have been connected to pro-Israel organizations. The Electronic Intifada revealed that al-Zayat, the head of the Muslim advocacy group Emgage, had connections to the Israel Lobby. He also worked as a senior adviser to then-UN Ambassador Samantha Power during the Obama administration and for ten years at the U.S. State Department. Known for advocating for U.S. sanctions that disproportionately affected Syrian civilians, the Syria Lobby has come under fire for its ties to pro-Israel organizations.
In 2013, Israel began openly supporting at least a dozen Syrian opposition groups, many of them with extremist ties, in their fight against Bashar al-Assad’s government in the country’s southern regions. Among these groups was Jabhat al-Nusra, which has since rebranded as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
In addition to supplying material and logistical aid, Israel also treated thousands of opposition fighters in field hospitals set up in the occupied Golan Heights.
Even Syria’s White Helmets organization, led by Raed Saleh, has faced scrutiny for its ties to Israel. In one particularly telling incident, White Helmets members were evacuated from southern Syria by Israeli forces, an operation that drew considerable media attention. Despite the significance of the collaboration, the White Helmets omitted any mention of Israel in their official statement about the evacuation.
Saleh later defended the decision, arguing that collaboration with Israel was the only option to ensure the safety of his group. The omission reportedly angered Israeli officials, who had hoped for a public relations boost from their involvement in the raid.
Jolani states that the HTS offensive prevented a great regional war against Israel by the Iranians and Iraqis and has secured the security of the Gulf for the next 50 years.
He also states that the US bases in the Gulf would have been attacked by Iran and this was prevented. pic.twitter.com/0R1hXd9UYN
— Islamic Resistance (@resistance_sa) January 1, 2025
In an interview with Saudi state broadcaster Al-Arabiya, Syrian leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani made a striking claim regarding the regional dynamics preceding the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. He asserted that an Israeli invasion of Syria was imminent at the time and would have been met with resistance from Iranian and Iraqi forces.
Al-Jolani went on to boast about his role in preventing such a confrontation, claiming credit for thwarting the Iranian agenda in Syria and setting what he called “the Iranian project” back by 40 years.
The new rulers in Damascus have notably departed from the longstanding Syrian tradition of vocal and material support for the Palestinian cause. Unlike previous Syrian governments, the current leadership has not issued any statements condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza or expressing solidarity with the Palestinian struggle.
Syria, once positioned as a staunch opponent of Israel—denouncing its war crimes, facilitating weapons transfers to resistance groups, and supporting Palestinian self-determination—now appears aligned against Iran, the only regional state actively opposing Tel Aviv.
Feature photo | Illustration by MintPress News
Robert Inlakesh is a political analyst, journalist and documentary filmmaker currently based in London, UK. He has reported from and lived in the occupied Palestinian territories and hosts the show ‘Palestine Files’. Director of ‘Steal of the Century: Trump’s Palestine-Israel Catastrophe’. Follow him on Twitter @falasteen47
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