Syria’s new leaders name for cordial ties with a resistant Israel : NPR

DAMASCUS, Syria — The newly appointed governor of Damascus has known as on the USA to make use of its affect to push for cordial relations with Israel.

In a wide-ranging interview with NPR, Governor Maher Marwan, 42, stated that Syria’s new authorities didn’t wish to search battle with Israel, which has been hanging strategic navy installations in Syria because the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad fell earlier this month.

“We’ve got no concern in the direction of Israel and our drawback shouldn’t be with Israel,” Marwan stated. “We do not wish to meddle in something that may threaten Israel’s safety or some other nation’s safety.”

Sitting in an enormous workplace in central Damascus, furnished with Syrian arabesque wood chairs and colorfully painted partitions, Marwan, carrying a swimsuit and tie, greeted the NPR group. He solely shook palms with the male members of the group.

The governor stated it was comprehensible that Israel was involved when the brand new Syrian authorities took energy, due to sure “factions.”

“Israel might have felt concern originally,” Marwan stated. “So it superior a little bit, bombed a little bit.”

Along with Israel’s strikes on navy installations, it additionally has seized components of the Golan Heights, stoking fears in Syria of annexation.

And but Marwan known as Israel’s concern “pure.”

Israel and Syria have by no means had diplomatic ties. They share a border however have been in a state of warfare since Israel’s founding in 1948. The 2 nations have fought a number of wars over the a long time, and journey between them has been forbidden.

A cautious response from Israel

“That is excellent news … very, very exceptional,” Uzi Rabi, a senior researcher on the Moshe Dayan Middle for Center Japanese and African Research at Tel Aviv College in Israel, stated of Marwan’s remarks to NPR.

Rabi stated the overture is noteworthy contemplating Syria’s historic opposition to Israel’s existence, and displays the pragmatism of Syria’s new management: it should rehabilitate the nation and can’t afford a warfare with Israel.

Marwan stated his views represented these of the town of Damascus, and the political opinions of his boss – Syria’s de facto chief Ahmed al-Sharaa – and the international ministry.

Sharaa – the chief of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which led the offensive that toppled the Assad regime on Dec. 8 – has beforehand stated that he doesn’t need battle with Israel.

HTS is a delegated terrorist group by the USA and has roots in al-Qaida, although the group broke away years in the past.

A U.S. delegation met with Sharaa in Damascus final week and introduced {that a} $10 million bounty could be lifted off the Syrian chief’s head.

Marwan known as on Washington to share HTS’ message with Israel.

“There exists a individuals who need peace and never disputes,” Marwan stated.

A U.S. official who was not licensed to talk publicly concerning the matter informed NPR that the U.S. relayed HTS’ message, however that Washington has not urged both nation in any route.

In a press release to NPR, Israel’s response was unequivocal.

“Israel is taking measures to make sure that the safety of its residents is maintained,” the assertion from the International Ministry stated. “We advise the worldwide group to keep in mind that Syria’s new ruling energy seized massive components of Syria by pressure. It was not democratically elected. It has long-standing historic ties toal-Qaida. That is an extremist Islamist regime that merely moved from Idlib to Damascus.”

The assertion added: “The USA has not pressured Israel to behave in a different way.”

Rabi stated Israel’s cautious response displays a “lack of confidence” within the viability of peace after the Hamas-led assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. However he predicted Israel may interact in dialogue with the brand new Syrian management via confidence-building measures within the coming months, resulting in “semi-normalization” of relations via safety cooperation alongside the border.

 ”You would appear to be a idiot if you will say, ‘Hey, every little thing is okay. Peace is on the desk. Let’s go for it,'” Rabi stated. “Time will inform, however that is simply form of a sign of how issues are being modified within the Center East for the great.”

A message to Individuals

Marwan stated his major message to the individuals of the USA is one in every of peace.

“As a Syrian individuals, we’re peaceable,” he stated. “We aren’t warmongering traditionally.”

Marwan blamed the Assad regime for creating what he known as “gaps” between the U.S. administration and the Syrian individuals.

“These gaps should be crammed in order that the 2 individuals may be mates and we will accomplish issues which might be helpful to each nations,” he stated.

Marwan stated the area ought to study from previous U.S. expertise of warfare in locations like Afghanistan and Iraq, saying it “does not work.”

“Warfare begets warfare, warfare begets hate, warfare begets evil, warfare begets destruction,” he stated.

He emphasised that he needed the American individuals to know that there is no such thing as a “animosity” between the 2 nations.

“The USA is a grand nation, and is on the helm of all nations, for which we have now nice respect and appreciation for, and has experience that we wish to benefit from,” he stated.

Marwan stated that the USA and Syria wanted one another.

“Any illogical political or navy battle will rob us of all mutual advantages,” he stated.

“We solely maintain respect and appreciation” for the U.S., he stated.

Governor as activist

Marwan hails from an elite Damascus household and grew up in a rich neighborhood within the capital. He stated he fled to Idlib in 2011 after being harassed by Assad’s safety forces for participating in protests that erupted throughout Syria as a part of the Arab Spring uprisings throughout the Center East. Assad’s violent clampdown on the peaceable protests triggered Syria’s 13-year civil warfare.

Marwan graduated with a level in Islamic legislation from Idlib College and spent a decade working in administration at varied companies. There he stated he felt “burning” to vary Syria.

“We needed to free Syria from the safety iron fist towards the Syrian individuals,” he stated. “Safety needs to be felt amongst all individuals, to not really feel concern.”

Marwan stated that the outdated regime raised a wall between it and its individuals.

“We used to say, ‘We really feel concern from Syria’ — now we are saying, ‘We concern for Syria,'” he stated.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham

Marwan stated he was interested in HTS as a result of they have been “organized, had a plan, and an idea to avoid wasting Syrians.”

He known as HTS a venture with out precedent. With time, he argued, the group developed the maturity to distinguish between who was an enemy and a good friend, and what wanted to be performed to construct a rustic.

Marwan stated he had by no means personally joined al-Qaida and was happy when HTS minimize ties with the terrorist group.

“Al-Qaida does not signify the Syrian individuals or its aspirations,” he stated.

The most important challenges forward

The principle problem for the federal government now that the Assad regime is gone is constructing belief between the individuals and their governmental establishments, Marwan stated.

“Individuals have an outdated view that establishments are helpful for the regime and never for them,” he stated.

Considered one of his massive challenges, he stated, is to struggle corruption. Most civil servants earned a non-living wage, he stated, forcing them to depend upon facet incomes from bribes and presents.

“To alter this, it’s essential to increase the standard of life, by rising wages, offering employment alternatives, enhancing investments and attracting traders,” he stated.

Marwan stated Syria additionally faces a frightening geopolitical problem. For this, he blames the Assad regime.

“The earlier regime exploited our essential geographical location to profit different nations, like Iran, and Hezbollah’s militias,” he stated.

This generated an enormous skilled hole for Syrians, Marwan stated. Among the many 550 staff on the governor’s workplace, he stated, solely two knew methods to use a laptop computer.

Harnessing the ability of those that have been a part of the previous regime is important for the soundness of the area, he argued, and needs to be supported by the worldwide group, particularly the USA.

Extra reporting by Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv.