Syria admits ‘fear of Israel’

Syrian President states that Damascus fears Israel and emphasizes that he does not want hostilities, highlighting risks and challenges for the region

The self -proclaimed Syrian President, Ahmad Al-Sharaasaid on Monday, September 23, that Damascus is “afraid of Israel”, signaling that his country is not a threat to the security of Tel Aviv. The statements were made during an event of the Middle East Institutein New York, coincidentally during the UN General Assemblyin which Sharaa participates.

“We are not creating problems for Israel. We are afraid of Israel, not the other way around,” said Sharaa, former al-Qaeda chief, in a speech that surprised analysts from the region.

The Syrian President also pointed out the risks faced by Damascus due to Israeli’s actions, including negotiations, Syrian airspace violations e raids in its territory.

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“There are several risks with Israel delaying negotiations and insisting on violating our airspace and raids on our territory,” added Sharaa.

Sharaa also took advantage of the event to discard any conversation about territorial division and reiterated Damascus’s support to Rights of the Drusa Minority No country.

“Jordan is under pressure, and any conversation about Syrian division will hurt Iraq and Turkey. This will lead us back to stake,” he said.

Syrian-Israeli agreement is almost finalized

Parallel to Sharaa’s statements, the US Special Envoy to Syria, Tom Barracksaid during the General Assembly that the Syrian-Israeli Security Agreementnegotiated in recent months, it is practically completed.

“I think everyone is approaching this in good faith,” said Barck, signaling optimism about the finalization of negotiations.

According to information released by the Times of Israelthe agreement provides that Israel interrupts his attacks on Syriawhile apricot would agree to not move machines or military equipment near the border. A US employee cited by the newspaper stated that the pact is “99% full”.

Sharaa, however, previously minimized the negotiations, characterizing the process as a security agreementand not as a peace agreement. The emphasis, he said, is to ensure stability and reduce tensions in the region, without formalizing broader diplomatic commitments.

Sharaa’s pronouncement occurs at a delicate moment in the Middle East, when border security and the balance of power between Syria and Israel They are closely observed by international powers. Analysts say that if the agreement is finalized, it may represent an important step towards Reduction of Military Incidentsbut does not completely close the historical tensions between the two countries.

“It’s a pragmatic security measure, not a definitive peace treaty,” says Middle East policy experts.

The climate of caution of apricot, expressed by Sharaa himself, shows that Syria remains vigilanteven while negotiating measures to reduce violence on the border, showing a delicate balance between fear, diplomacy and military strategy.

Syria can close security pact with Israel in the coming days

The Syrian interim president, Ahmad Al-Sharaasaid on 17 September that negotiations with Israel may result in a safety pact Soon, in the coming days. Information also indicates that Sharaa could meet personally with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahuduring the session of UN General Assembly in New York.

Israel, in turn, has performed repeated air strikes against Syria since the fall of the previous government last year. The Israeli military presence in the south of the country has been consolidated, creating a kind of siege of the capital, Damascus. During the July clashes between Syrian government forces and Drudos combatants, Israel attacked the presidential palaceo Ministry of Defense and other places linked to Damascus, justifying actions as support for the Drusa minority.

The internal conflict, however, resulted in massacres of thousands of Drudos civilians through Sharaa forces that month, increasing tension in the region.

Despite the firm rhetoric of Israel, Sharaa and Syrian authorities have emphasized that do not seek direct confrontation with Tel Aviv. At the same time, Damascus comes repressing factions of Palestinian resistancewho for years received refuge under the government of the former president Bashar al-Assad.

In a gesture of diplomatic approach, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Syria, Asaad al-Shaibanimet on August 20 in Paris with the Minister of Strategic Affairs of Israel, Ron Dermer. According to the newspaper Haaretzthe meeting had as its main objective prevent the installation of Hezbollah or Iran in southern Syriasignaling an attempt to reduce the presence of external actors who could further destabilize the region.

Sharaa’s history and the complexity of the conflict

The context behind negotiations is marked by Sharaa’s past. He was VICE-LEDER DO ISISled by Abu Bakr Al-Bghdadibefore taking command of the official arm of the Al-Qaeda in Syriaknown as Nusra Front. Subsequently, the nusra front was renamed Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (hts)which assumed the control of a significant part of the Syrian territory in December 2024.

Historical records show that confirmed coordination between Israel and the nusra front In the early years of the Syrian war, supported by the United States since 2011, which adds complexity to current negotiations. Sharaa’s trajectory, which moves between extremist groups and the interim government, highlights the challenges of building a reliable security agreement With Tel Aviv, considering the multiplicity of actors and interests in the region.

The possible Syrian-Israeli pact therefore arises in a delicate momentin which Syria seeks internal stability and Israel attempts to reduce threats to its safety, while both sides try to balance regional and international pressures. Experts warn that although the agreement is mostly securityits success will depend on the rigorous compliance with commitments and the maintenance of open diplomatic channels between Damascus and Tel Aviv.

With information from The Cradle*