'We cannot be an opponent to Israel,' new Damascus Governor says
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The governor further called on the United States to mediate better ties between the new Syrian administration and the Israeli entity.
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Governor of Damascus, Maher Marwan, in an interview with AFP on December 16, 2024 (ScreenGrab)
The new governor of Damascus, Maher Marwan, assured "Israel" that "there exists a people who want coexistence. They want peace. They don't want disputes."
In an interview with NPR on Thursday, Marwan said that "Israel may have felt fear" of certain factions when a new Syrian government took power.
"So it advanced a little, bombed a little, etc.," he said, referring to the wide-scale Israeli strikes on Syrian territory and incursions in the Syrian Golan Heights.
"We have no fear towards Israel, and our problem is not with Israel," he said, adding that the new Syrian administration does not want to "meddle in anything that will threaten Israel's security or any other country's security."
The governor further called on the United States to mediate better ties between the new administration and the Israeli entity.
"We want peace, and we cannot be an opponent to Israel or an opponent to anyone, Marwan asserted.
His sentiments echoed those of Ahmad al-Sharaa, the head of the new Syrian administration and the leader of the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, who previously pointed out that he does not want conflict with "Israel".
An American official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, informed NPR that Washington had conveyed HTS' message, claiming that no pressure had been applied to either side to take any specific action.
Touching on Marwan's remarks, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported that the Israelis believe that the Americans understand "Israel's" security needs and concerns but feel the new Syrian administration should be given more of a chance as Israeli positions remain clouded with doubt and skepticism.
In "Israel", Marwan’s statements reportedly failed to garner significant attention, according to the Israeli media outlet. Israeli officials informed Yedioth Ahronoth that the proof regarding the current assurances lies with al-Sharaa and his followers," stressing the importance of not overlooking their ideological foundation.
They also pointed out that the "friendly" messages from the new administration in Damascus remain ambiguous, with uncertainty surrounding the future direction the leadership will pursue.
The head of the so-called Syrian Salvation Front, Fahd al-Masri, had previously told the Israeli newspaper Maariv, "We do not want a war with Israel."
In the same context, the Arab affairs analyst at the Israeli website i24NEWS, Baruch Yedid, quoted what he described as the "former deputy mufti of Syria," Abdul Jalil al-Saeed, expressing optimism about the future relationship between Syria and "Israel".
The talk of peace between Syria and "Israel" comes in the context of "Israel's" continued advance in Syria, with the Israeli army controlling approximately 600 square kilometers in southern Syria. Additionally, "Israel" has established new positions in the Quneitra countryside.
