Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa meets with the head of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS), Hamid al-Shatri, in Damascus, Syria, 26 December 2024 Photo: Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham/Handout via REUTERS
On Tuesday, during an interview with NPR journalist Hadil Al-Salachi, the new governor of Damascus, Maher Marwan, said that Syria is seeking to improve its relations with Israel, stressing that the country has no problem with the Jewish state. “We have no problem with Israel,” Marwan said, introducing Syria’s newly elected leader, Abu Mohammed al-Julani, The Jerusalem Post reported.
After rapidly seizing Syria in 11 days, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leaders, who have ties to al-Qaeda, are trying to strengthen their international legitimacy as the “new government of Syria”. Speaking to NPR, Marwan noted that it is “natural” that Israel has some concerns about the new Syrian government. He added that because of these “fears”, Israel has “moved forward a little bit, bombed a little bit”.
“We don’t want to interfere in any issues that could threaten the security of Israel or any other country,” Marwan said. He also called on the United States to help build better relations between Syria and Israel.
A U.S. official confirmed to NPR that the U.S. has conveyed the HTS message to Israel. “We want peace and we don’t want to be adversaries of Israel or any other country,” Marwan concluded.
