Maariv: What Israel will do in Syria sooner or later

On Friday, the Israeli Maariv newspaper published a report highlighting the recent developments in Syria and the delegations’ visit to the capital Damascus and their meetings with the new administration led by Ahmed al Sharaa.

The report by political analyst Jackie Hugi, said, “In Israel, they are certain that al Julani is a jihadist in the guise of a dove, and they forget that over the past decade the security establishment has been in contact with jihadist organizations in Syria, and in the meantime, the countries of the world are groping their way to them forcefully”.

According to Hugi, Israel will have to recognize the new regime in Damascus sooner or later.

He says, “The delegations go up one by one to Damascus to see the miracle, and they are received warmly by Ahmed al Sharaa, known as Abu Muhammad al Julani… At first it was the Turks… and their Foreign Minister Fidan has visited Damascus twice since the fall of the Assad regime”.

After him came the French, and after them the Americans arrived, as did representatives of the Italian government, followed by the Jordanians and Qataris.

He added, “These aren’t just courtesy visits… Everyone wants to inquire about the new president and establish a relationship with him… Every government has its own issue”.

“Syria is a broken state like a bankrupt company and although its situation is bleak, and al Sharaa has already acquired a city in ruins with broken basic services, a devastated economy, a terrified population and a tangled sectarian mix, it represents a huge economic opportunity for governments and investors,” Hugi continues.

The report continued, that al Sharaa’s main mission is to restore the economy and this is the main point in his contacts with foreign guests and he is trying to harness it to lift the international sanctions imposed on Syria, especially those imposed by the United States.

The US law also prohibits dealing with the Syrian Central Bank, thus effectively isolating it from the global economy.

According to Hugi’s report, al Sharaa assured his guests that the executioner had left and that it wasn’t right to continue punishing the victim as well.

At the same time, he seeks to bring the ethnic groups together and transform the afflicted Syrian society into a cohesive unit as much as possible… In all his speeches, al Sharaa refers to the necessity of the unity of Syria and the unity of its territories, and this means not dividing it into cantons.

Hugi pointed out in his report that, the meeting that brought together al Sharaa with the leaders of the jihadist organizations and announced their dissolution and inclusion in the Syrian National Army.

Not everyone responded to his request though, as the Kurds, for example, refuse to do so, but al Sharaa and his men know that the journey has just begun.

Finally, Hugi shed the spotlight on Tel Aviv position, saying that Israel believed that Ahmed al Sharaa has succeeded in captivating his guests with his charm.

On the other hand, the Americans shouldn’t be underestimated, as they are inclined to give him a chance, especially since their army has been stationed there in Syria for several years to fight terrorism, according to Hugi.

The Americans are friendly with the Kurds and it’s possible that they know something that we don’t know or are not able to see.

In a swift move, the United States canceled a $10 million reward for information on al Sharaa, thus cleaning his image of the “terrorist image” and giving him the blessing of the road.

It seems that all the other people who visited Damascus gave him “kosher” and that is only the beginning.

Compared to the threats, the issue of the opportunities inherent in change in Syria isn’t discussed in Israeli discourse, in neighboring countries, and also in Western capitals.

Meanwhile, the public discourse has two questions:

Who is al Sharaa and where he is taking Syria?

And is it possible to establish relations with?

“In a neighboring country we thought we knew everything about, the president was removed almost overnight, replaced by someone we know very little about,” Hugi said, adding, “This is the Syrian Renaissance War… A new state is emerging before our eyes… For better or worse, it depends on its captains, but it also depends on what the neighbors do and how much they help them get back on their feet”.

“Ahmad al Sharra sent messages of public reconciliation, saying that he doesn’t intend to attack Israel, that Syria is exhausted, that he doesn’t want wars, and why would he want that with the bloody legacy he has received? The people of Syria have gone through a catastrophe… Syria expects him to make peace and rebuild… It hopes to get some help from its neighbors… We Israelis can understand the desire to heal after the massacre,” Hugi continues.

“It’s true that he is a jihadist, but that isn’t his only characteristic… He is a surprising and interesting character, and until we examine him deeply we won’t know whether he is hiding an opportunity for us and what kind of opportunity it is… He is an intelligent and eloquent Syrian patriot and has a rare intuitive quality among the leaders of the region… He often speaks to the public and talks at length about his intentions, especially since he has gone through many transformations during his life and in the last decade in particular”.

“It’s possible to delve into his jihadist past without giving in and defaming him all day long and avoiding any contact with him,” Hugi explained.

Hugi continued, “Relations with the Druze in Syria and with the Kurdish minority are important, but these two don’t rule in Damascus today… The countries of the region have become advanced, and in our region everyone talks to everyone… The legitimate Damascus expelled the Iranians and their supporters and is calling on its neighbors… Israel doesn’t have the luxury of giving up the feasibility study… This isn’t a complicated task… Government officials in Israel have known how to find a way to these rebels in the past, even for the most extreme”.

The report asserts that religion isn’t an obstacle to relations between companies or countries as long as it’s not mobilized for political needs.

Hugi referred to an article by former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in the Washington Post this week, which he devoted to the situation in Syria.

At the beginning of the article, the former Israeli Prime Minister stated that Israel is facing a critical moment of danger and opportunity.

Naftali Bennett added that any change that occurs from now on will likely affect the region for decades and we all know the risks.

The former minister detailed the situation in Syria, the multiplicity of rebel organizations and factions, and the troubling past of the new president, casting doubt on al Sharaa’s moderate image, noting that his transformation from jihadist to suit lover was a calculated exercise and nothing more.

The former prime minister wrote, “Sharaa will most likely remain a Salafi jihadist, and his basic doctrine will remain the same”.

At the end of the article, Bennett issued a threat to the new rulers of Damascus, stressing that Israel won’t wait to see if an organization like the “Julani Organization” is moderate, but will work to neutralize threats before they appear.