Trump urges Israel to refrain from intervening in Syria
Former US President Donald Trump has called on Israel to avoid any intervention in Syria, warning that such actions could hinder efforts to turn the country into a “prosperous nation.” In a post on his platform Truth Social, Trump said it is “very important” for Israel to maintain a strong and genuine dialogue with Syria and to refrain from interfering in Syria’s transformation. He added that the United States is “very pleased with the results” emerging from Damascus. (Source: Truth Social)
Last Friday, an Israeli operation in a village in southern Syria killed 13 people. The Israeli military said the target of the raid was an Islamist organization. Syria’s Foreign Ministry described the operation as a “war crime.” The article reports that since the overthrow of former president Bashar al-Assad a year ago, Israel has struck Syria hundreds of times and its forces regularly enter southern Syria; the recent Friday operation was the deadliest of those incidents.
In early November, Trump received Syria’s new president, Ahmad al-Sara, at the White House. During the cordial meeting, the former jihadi-turned-president announced that his country would join the international coalition against the Islamic State. Trump said the new Syrian president is working diligently to ensure positive developments and predicted a long and prosperous relationship between Syria and Israel, calling it a historic opportunity that adds to successes for peace in the Middle East.
Following Assad’s fall, Israel deployed troops into the demilitarized zone of the Golan Heights, beyond the established separation line. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the troops stationed there on November 19 and said Israel attaches “great importance” to its military presence in the zone, which is supposed to be under UN control. Both Syria and the United Nations condemned Netanyahu’s visit.
