Israeli ministers “discuss division of Syria”
Israeli ministers have met this week to discuss plans to aid the division of Syria into provincial regions, the Middle East eye via Israel Hayom reported on January 9th.
According to the news outlet, Israel Hayom, Defence Minister Israel Katz, held a small ministerial meeting on January 7th which focused on the Turkish involvement in Syria and concerns surrounding the aims of Syria’s de facto leader, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) commander Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The meeting took place before a discussion with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and reportedly included a discussion on an Israeli plan, which was revealed by Middle East Eye last month.
The plan outlines that Syria would be divided into cantons or provincial regions, which the news outlet referred to as a way to “safeguard the security and rights of all Syrian ethnic groups”, including the Kurdish and Druze communities.
Israel’s energy and infrastructure minister, Eli Cohen, reportedly suggested that the plan needs to be looked into at a global conference led by Israel, although Israeli politicians understand that any initiative connected with Israel stands a strong chance of facing major resistance within Syria.
Last month, regional security sources informed about the plot told Middle East Eye, that the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s government had stopped an existing Israeli plan to divide Syria into three areas in order to cut its ties with Iran and Hezbollah, which were in support of Assad.
Israel had planned to create military and strategic connections with the Kurds in northeast Syria and the Druze in the south, which meant that Assad continued to be in power in Damascus under Emirati control and funding.
This would have also helped to restrict Turkey’s power in Syria to the northwest, which was the HTS and Turkish-backed rebel groups stronghold.
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The plan seems to be the same as the one discussed on January 7th by Israeli ministers including Katz, was referred to in a speech during November 2024 by Gideon Saar, the Israeli Foreign Minister.
Saar said Israel needed to communicate to the Kurds and the Druze in Syria and Lebanon, explaining that there were “political and security aspects” that needed to be taken into account.
Saar also said: “We must look at developments in this context and understand that in a region where we will always be a minority we can have natural alliances with other minorities.”
But this sentiment does not appear to be mutual. During December, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, the leader of Syria’s Druze, heavily criticised Israel’s invasion of Syria and said Syria needs to keep its social and territorial cohesion.
In conversation with Middle East Eye, Hijri said: “The Israeli invasion concerns me and I reject it.”
Israel started to move troops into Syrian territory just hours after HTS-led rebels ousted the Assad government on December 8th.
Israeli security officials have said that Israel will stay in captured areas until they feel that “stability” has been attained.
Ankara is a significant beneficiary of Assad’s fall from power, after it supported HTS and other rebel groups which were leading the attack that ousted Assad’s administration.
Katz ordered Israeli troops to be positioned in Mount Hermon during winter, which is a strategic location in Syria overlooking Damascus, Reuters reported on December 13th 2024.
Middle East eye via Israel Hayom
