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Al-Ahram Weekly
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Syria back at the table with Israel - World - Al-Ahram Weekly
Do the first talks between Syria and Israel in a quarter century hold any real prospects for peace Meetings between Syria and Israel under US auspices have resumed after a 25-year hiatus. In the past quarter-century, Washington has served as the main sponsor of the 'political solution' to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The most recent meeting, chaired by Tom Barrack, the US special envoy for Syria, was held in Paris and marked the second such encounter following an earlier meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, during Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa's visit on 12 July. According to many reports, the Paris meeting — described as 'honest and responsible' — did not produce tangible results but paved the way to a new round of talks between Syria and Israel. Damascus had earlier confirmed indirect contact with Israel aimed at returning to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, which established a buffer zone that Israel has occupied for the past several months. The Syrian delegation included Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Sheibani and representatives of the General Intelligence Service, according to the official Syrian News Agency. On the Israeli side, Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi were present, according to the Israeli English-language news site Yedioth Ahronoth. The discussions centred on the possibility of reactivating the disengagement agreement with international guarantees, alongside Syria's demand for the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from the positions they have recently occupied. Following the ouster of Bashar Al-Assad in December, Israel occupied a UN-monitored buffer zone that had separated the two countries' forces in the strategic Golan Heights. Since then, Israeli forces have advanced deeper into southern Syria, calling for the complete demilitarisation of the area. Syria and Israel have been officially at war since 1948. Israel has occupied the Syrian Golan Heights since 1967. Following Al-Assad's removal, Israel launched hundreds of air strikes across Syria, violating Syrian sovereignty in what it claimed were efforts to prevent weapons from reaching the newly established Islamist authorities. This month, Israel launched air strikes on Damascus and the Druze-majority province of Sweida, portraying itself as a protector of the Druze minority. Many observers view this as a pretext to push Syrian government forces further away from the occupied Golan Heights. In Sweida, southern Syria, armed Bedouin tribes clashed with Druze forces. The new Islamist regime in Damascus joined the conflict. The fighting resulted in over 1,000 deaths, more than two-thirds of them Druze, and displaced more than 128,000 people who fled their homes in fear of continued violence. The crisis was resolved when government forces and Sunni Bedouin tribes withdrew from the area and Sweida came under a form of local administration, though the extent of its autonomy vis-à-vis Damascus remains unclear. During the recent meeting, the Syrian delegation said 'national unity and territorial integrity are non-negotiable,' stressing that 'Sweida and its people are an integral part of the Syrian state.' A report by Yedioth Ahronoth, citing the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, indicated that the talks also addressed a potential US-backed arrangement for Sweida. Under the emerging proposal, pro-regime forces would withdraw beyond Druze-inhabited areas, with local Druze groups conducting verification sweeps to ensure compliance. The draft agreement also calls for the establishment of local councils in Sweida to provide civil services, the formation of a joint committee to monitor violations and report directly to the US, and the demilitarisation of the Quneitra and Daraa governorates, both bordering Israel. In these areas, local security committees with no access to heavy weaponry would replace current armed forces. UN agencies would be granted access to Sweida, while groups affiliated with the Syrian regime would be prohibited from operating there. No international media outlets have reported any concrete discussions of peace between Syria and Israel, despite earlier reports of US-mediated contacts aimed at reaching an agreement between the two countries. Absent from these reports is any mention of what Damascus might receive in return for normalisation. Would it be the full restoration of the Golan Heights? A partial Israeli withdrawal from the buffer zone occupied after the fall of Al-Assad? Or simply a tacit Israeli guarantee not to target the new Islamist regime, allowing it to entrench itself and expand its authority countrywide? Al-Sharaa's government remains in a precarious position. It engaged in heavy fighting with Alawite militias in their coastal strongholds, clashed with Druze forces, experienced tensions with Christian communities — in the events known as the Maaloula incident — and continues to grapple with mutual distrust in its relationship with the Kurds. Not all Syrian Sunnis — the majority demographic in the country — support Islamist movements. Significant segments of Syria's business elite, often referred to as the Merchants of Damascus and Aleppo, along with the middle class, had benefited from the stability of the Assad regime for five decades. Many observers believe the complete return of the Golan Heights is highly unlikely, given that the idea had provoked the anger of Israeli extremists and led to the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin who was close to concluding a deal with Hafez Al-Assad that would have returned the Golan Heights to Syria in exchange for full normalisation. Rabin's assassination has since become a psychological and political constraint on Israeli leaders in any negotiations with Syria. The idea of dividing the Golan Heights also appears unworkable. Some Israeli and Western reports have floated the notion of splitting the territory into three zones: one under Syrian control, one under Israeli sovereignty, and a third whose status would be resolved at a later stage. However, such a division is widely seen as impractical. Since its occupation in 1967, the Golan Heights have become a hub of Israeli vineyard and wine production, as well as a popular domestic tourism destination despite the persistent opposition of the region's Druze population — numbering more than 30,000 — who continue to reject Israeli nationality, identify as Syrian Arabs, and maintain close ties with their Druze counterparts in Syria. On the other hand, Al-Sharaa's regime would face internal backlash if it agreed to any deal that did not involve the return of the Golan Heights, or at least part of it. Such a concession would position it below Al-Assad's regime, which consistently refused any peace deal that excluded the Golan Heights. * A version of this article appears in print in the 6 August, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Jordan News
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Jordan News
Damascus: Evacuation of Detained Families from Inside Sweida - Jordan News
On Monday morning, the process of evacuating detained families from inside the city of Sweida began, according to Syrian state television, following several days of security tensions in the city. اضافة اعلان The Syrian News Agency (SANA) quoted the head of internal security in Sweida Governorate, Ahmad Al-Dalati, as saying that an agreement had been reached to allow civilians wishing to leave to do so, until their safety is secured and their return is guaranteed. He affirmed the security authorities' commitment to 'ensuring the safe departure of those who wish to leave and allowing entry for those who wish to return.' Al-Dalati noted that internal security forces had imposed a security cordon around the city of Sweida to secure it and halt the fighting inside, as part of the state's efforts to restore stability and protect civilians. Photos released by the Syrian Ministry of Interior showed the first moments of the evacuation of several Bedouin families who had been detained in the city for several days. The evacuation took place amid a widespread field deployment of internal security forces, who worked to secure the area and ensure the safety of civilians throughout the process.
Jordan News
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Jordan News
Syrian Government Reaches Agreement to Integrate Sweida into State Institutions - Jordan News
Syrian Government Reaches Agreement to Integrate Sweida into State Institutions Special sources have revealed to Al Jazeera that the Syrian government has reached an agreement with the people and leaders of Sweida to fully integrate the province, which is home to a Druze majority, into the state's institutions. اضافة اعلان The sources clarified that the agreement stipulates the inclusion of Sweida's security forces within the Syrian Ministry of Interior, and that local police officers should be residents of the province, located in the south of the country. The agreement also states that the Syrian government will appoint a governor and a police chief, though they do not necessarily have to be from Sweida. The Syrian News Agency reported that President Ahmed al-Shara met with the governor of Sweida, Dr. Mustafa al-Bakour, and several local activists at the People's Palace in Damascus. It was mentioned that the attendees discussed national and local issues, emphasizing the "importance of this historic phase in Syria's history, during which Syrians seek a country based on justice, law, and fair representation of all segments of the Syrian people, despite the difficult regional and international conditions and the schemes being plotted against Syria's unity, both land and people." Hekmat al-Hajri, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Syria, previously emphasized their commitment to the country's unity and their rejection of any division plans, stressing that their project is purely Syrian and patriotic. Al-Hajri stated, "The unity of Syria, both land and people," is a steadfast position, affirming that no ideas that go beyond this will be discussed. He added that they do not seek any form of separation or partition, but aim to preserve their roots. The Druze, whose main stronghold is in the Sweida province, constitute about 3% of Syria's population. Recent Israeli statements caused turmoil in Syria, after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said earlier this month, "If the regime harms the Druze, we will hurt it," following limited clashes in the city of Jaramana, located in the Damascus suburbs, which is home to both Druze and Christian communities. Druze religious leaders and figures rejected the Israeli statements, reaffirming their commitment to Syria's unity. This was echoed by al-Shara, who called on the international community to pressure Israel for a "immediate" withdrawal from areas it has entered in southern Syria. (Al Jazeera Net)
Iraqi News
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Syria: Signing an agreement to integrate the Syrian Democratic Forces into state institutions
The Syrian presidency announced today, Monday, an agreement to integrate the Syrian Democratic Forces into state institutions. The Syrian News Agency quoted a statement from the presidency as saying that "an agreement was signed to integrate the Syrian Democratic Forces into state institutions and to emphasize the unity of Syrian lands and reject division," noting that "the agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces stipulates guaranteeing the rights of all Syrians to representation and participation in the political process and all state institutions." "The agreement stipulates the integration of all civil and military institutions in northeastern Syria into state administration, including border crossings, the airport, and oil and gas fields," noting that "the agreement emphasizes ensuring the return of all displaced Syrians to their towns and villages and ensuring their protection from the Syrian state." "The agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces stipulates the rejection of calls for division, hate speech, and attempts to spread discord among all components of Syrian society."
Ya Libnan
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
Syrian official: Hezbollah poses a threat on our borders, in sponsoring all arms and drug smugglers
File:Several countries designated Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed, Lebanon-based militia group, as a 'terrorist' designation covers the entirety of the group, both the political and military wings. The commander of the Western Region in the Syrian Border Security Administration, Mu'ayyad al-Salama, stated that 'during the past week, clashes took place with armed smuggling groups in the Syrian villages of Hawik, Jarmash, Wadi al-Hawrani and Akum, during a combing campaign we launched to control the country's western borders from smuggling operations.' He claimed, in statements to the Syrian News Agency – SANA, that 'most of the smuggling gangs on the Lebanese border belong to Hezbollah, which has become a threat with its presence on the Syrian border through its sponsorship of drug and weapons smugglers.' Al-Salama pointed out that 'in turn, the former regime also transformed the Syrian-Lebanese border into corridors for drug trafficking in cooperation with Hezbollah, which helped strengthen the presence of armed smuggling gangs in the border area.' He claimed that 'during the combing campaign, our forces were able to seize a large number of farms, warehouses, and factories for manufacturing and packaging hashish and Captagon pills, in addition to printing presses specialized in printing counterfeit currency, as this area was the economic artery of these gangs. We also seized many shipments of weapons and narcotics in the border areas with Lebanon, which were on their way to cross.' The Syrian official added: 'We confirm that we did not target the Lebanese interior, despite the bombing that targeted our units by Hezbollah, and our operations were limited to the adjacent Syrian villages, and targeted armed smuggling gangs and those who fought with them.' Earlier, Al-Nashra's correspondent in the Bekaa reported that the Lebanese army had deployed on the Lebanese-Syrian border from Qanafez to Dora Josi, passing through Hosh Al-Sayyed Ali, and closed all illegal roads with earthen barriers, to maintain security and prevent the entry of militants and the smuggling of weapons and drugs to and from Syria. During the deployment, army units appeared to be establishing centers and opening new roads to control the borders. The new military administration deployed its elements along the border on the Syrian side, where this border witnessed cautious calm today and no shooting, breach or smuggling was recorded on illegal roads due to the closure of the crossings. Source: El Nashra , translated from Arabic
