Israeli Foreign Minister: We want to establish good relations with the new Syrian administration
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said that Israel wants to establish good relations with the new Syrian administration, during a press conference at the Foreign Ministry on Sunday.
Sa’ar was asked whether Israel received assistance from the Syrian government during the mission announced of recovering the remains of Israeli soldier Zvi Feldman, he replied, “It seems that this question should be referred to the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu”.
He added, “We want good relations with the new Syrian administration… We want stability, and we’ve security concerns, and that’s understandable”.
Sa’ar also added that Israel has reason to be ‘skeptical of the current regime’ in Syria, particularly due to ‘certain movements regarding minorities in the country”.
Sa’ar’s comments appear to indicate a shift in tone from the harsh rhetoric he used to describe Ahmed al Sharaa and his government.
Last March, Sa’ar described the new Syrian government, “They were jihadists and they remain jihadists, even if some of their leaders wear uniforms”.
Sa’ar’s remarks come after al Sharaa revealed last week that his country was conducting indirect talks with Israel “to ease tensions and prevent the situation from spiraling out of control,” reportedly mediated by the UAE.
