Published in the Jerusalem Post, 12 May 2025
Known then as Abu
Mohammed al-Jolani, and invariably pictured in uniform, he has since cast aside
both his military persona and his name. He now dresses in statesmanlike suits,
and answers to the name Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Appointed Syria’s interim president in January 2025, he formed a
transitional government in March, suspended the Assad-era constitution,
produced an interim one, and pledged to draft a new constitution within a few
years.
The interim constitution commits
the nation’s governance to unity and inclusivity, explicitly pledges to
maintain freedom of opinion and expression, and establishes a People’s
Committee to function as an interim parliament.
On March 10, three days before al-Sharaa signed it, he signed a landmark agreement with the leader of the Syrian Defense Forces (SDF), Gen. Mazloum Abdi. The SDF was in effective control of the Kurdish-occupied area in northern Syria known as Rojava.
Basically the agreement recognizes
the Kurdish community as an integral part of the Syrian nation. It stipulates that the Kurdish-led SDF is to
be integrated into the nation’s military forces, and that all Rojavan civil and
military institutions will merge with new state institutions.
This joint decision has
potentially vast implications. Syria’s new constitution, when it eventually
appears, could propose a situation akin to that in Iraq, where a
Kurdish-majority area has been recognized as a federal entity and accorded
autonomy within the constitution.
Al-Sharaa’s agreement with the SDF
seems to substantiate his declared intention to rule over a pluralistic society. He has promised amnesty for most former
regime loyalists, and assured religious minorities that he will safeguard their
rights. He has also stated that the new Syria would not be used as a launchpad
for attacks on neighboring countries, including Israel.
It is inevitable that many in
government and the media remain highly skeptical about al-Sharaa’s intentions,
believing that the leopard cannot change its spots. They look back to his history and see only a
dyed-in-the-wool jihadist.
Born in Riyadh in 1982 to a Syrian
family from the Golan Heights, al-Sharaa grew up in Damascus. He went to Iraq when the US invaded in 2003,
subsequently joined the jihadist group, Al-Qaeda in Iraq, and was imprisoned by
American forces from 2006 to 2011. When released
he returned to Syria and in 2012 founded the al-Nusra Front. In 2016, he severed ties with al-Qaeda and
rebranded his militia as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). It was as the leader of
HTS that he toppled the Assad regime.
His subsequent words and actions
send a largely positive, but still mixed message. Major media outlets highlight
his democratic pledges, yet question whether the moderate persona he is now
projecting is a pragmatic facade.
Confidence was badly shaken on March 6, when Alawite civilians in Syria’s coastal and central provinces were attacked and slaughtered by government forces. This was followed by violent encounters with Druze rebels in Damascus on May 1. Two days followed of deadly sectarian violence involving the Druze minority and pro-government forces, and on May 3 Israel carried out an intense wave of airstrikes in Syria, claiming it was protecting the Druze minority.
Those still mistrustful of al-Sharaa’s true intentions also point to the retention of Islamist clauses in the provisional constitution he has established. Yet even the most cynical would find it difficult to deny that a new spirit is abroad in Syria.
A demonstration of Syria’s changed future occurred outside the UN building in New York on April 25. Syria’s foreign minister, Asaad al-Shibani, watched as the two-starred red, white and black flag of Assad’s Syria was lowered, to be replaced by the three-starred green, white and black flag previously used by HTS. This is now Syria’s official emblem.
“This flag is not a mere symbol,”
said al-Shibani, “but rather a proclamation of a new existence ... embodying a
future that emerges from resilience and a promise of change after years of pain.”
On April 25, the New Arab bore the headline: “US Congressmen claim Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa open to Israel normalization”. The story beneath reported that Congressman Cory Mills had held a 90-minute meeting with Sharaa, who had indicated that he was willing to normalize relations with Israel. Mills was accompanied by fellow Congressman Marlin Stutzman who separately told The Jerusalem Post that Sharaa was interested in joining the Abraham Accords.
"Sharaa said that he was open
to the Abraham Accords,” said Stutzman, “which would put them in good standing
with Israel, other Middle Eastern countries, and, of course, the United States."
Both Congressmen are Republicans,
and have Trump’s ear. It is not
impossible that he will take the opportunity of his visit to advance the idea
of Syria-Israeli normalization with his hosts – Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the
United Arab Emirates (UAE).
No doubt the Golan would be
included. Israel views the Golan as vital to its security, and annexed it in
1981. During Trump’s first
administration the US recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, a move that
Biden’s administration did not overturn.
Any demand to reverse the situation would certainly scupper normalization
discussions. To achieve the benefits
that would flow from normalizing relations with Israel, al-Sharaa would probably
adopt the pragmatic approach favored by other Abraham Accord states, and put the
issue on the side burner.
There is no doubt that the tenor
of remarks by al-Sharaa from the start of his governance seem to favor
conciliation toward Israel and suggest a potential openness to the principles
of regional normalization and cooperation embodied in the Abraham Accords. If Syria’s interim president eventually
delivers the inclusive, unified, well-governed state that he promises he will
have proved himself the most remarkable leader to have emerged in the Arab
world for generations.
Published in the Jerusalem Post and the Jerusalem Post online titled: "Normalization between al-Sharaa's Syria, Israel possible after decades of hostilities", 12 May 2025:
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-853558