Syria could reach normalisation with Israel
Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has spoken of a willingness to normalise relations with Israel and join the Abraham Accords, Middle East Eye reported on April 24th.
He told Republican congressman Cory Mills that under the “right conditions,” Syria would join the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco in establishing ties with Israel. The two met in Damascus for 90 minutes on a fact-finding mission sponsored by Syrian Americans.
Mills told Bloomberg he had discussed the conditions for sanctions relief with Sharaa. These include destroying chemical weapons left over from Bashar al-Assad’s rule, cooperating on counterterrorism, and addressing foreign fighters who had joined Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group. The congressman also said Sharaa needs to give assurances to Israel.
Since Assad’s fall, Israel has repeatedly launched strikes on Syria and occupied part of its southwestern area, giving the Israeli military a vantage point over Damascus.
Syria’s economy remains in collapse, with most of the population in poverty, and reconstruction costs estimated to be valued at $400 billion. US sanctions, introduced in response to Assad’s clampdown on demonstrators, still mainly apply despite the change in leadership. According to analysts, the sanctions have putt off potential investors, particularly from Gulf countries and Turkey.
Meanwhile, on March 13th Reuters reported that the US approved a Qatari gas transfer to Syria. Saudi Arabia also plans to fund Syria’s World Bank debts, which would lead to reconstruction funds, according to Reuters on April 14th.
Syria has a history of direct conflict with Israel. Sharaa is originally from the Golan Heights, which Israel occupied in 1967 and later annexed. After Assad’s fall, Israeli troops pushed further into Syrian territory.
While Sharaa once cited the Palestinian cause as his motivator, his recent actions suggest a shift. His government has arrested two senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad officials, a move a US official said was meant to show Syria’s ability to meet Israeli security demands, Middle East Eye reported on April 23rd.
“Syria’s new rulers have an onus to show they can address American and Israeli security concerns while an American drawdown is taking place,” the official said. “They have to step up to the plate if they want to be integrated into the region.”
The UK announced on April 24th that it would lift sanctions on Syria’s defence and interior ministries as well as several of the country’s intelligence agencies – marking a significant step towards normalisation, Middle East Eye via Reuters reported on April 24th.
Middle East Eye via Bloomberg, Reuters
