In break with Netanyahu, Olmert urges Israel to recognize Syria’s Sharaa, open dialogue
Former Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert believes Israel should recognize the legitimacy of the Syrian interim administration, telling Al-Monitor in an interview that he believes that the two countries should open dialogue.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is calling on the government to reach out to the new Syrian administration and open a dialogue, saying Israel should seek calm as well as security understandings in the short term and a peace treaty with Damascus in the longer run.
In an interview with Al-Monitor in Paris, Olmert said Israel must signal to interim Syrian leader Ahmad a-Sharaa "that we are ready to talk." The former premier stressed that reaching understandings with Syria could also pave the way for peace talks between Israel and Lebanon.
The interview took place against the backdrop of deadly clashes last weekend between militias affiliated with ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the transitional government’s forces. Over 1000 civilians were killed, majority of whom are Alawites, war monitors said. On Monday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that despite putting on suits, the makeup of Sharaa’s administration "remains jihadists." Later that day he said that Israel is “determined to prevent what we witnessed this weekend in Syria from happening on our own border,” adding, "We will not allow the formation of a jihadist threat on our border with Syria.”
Under Assad's tenure, Israel had frequently targeted Hezbollah and Iranian positions inside Syria. As the Israel-Syria border remained relatively quiet, Syrian army positions typically were not Israeli targets. However, the Israeli military and political leadership remains extremely wary of the new government led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a jihadist group once tied to al-Qaeda.
