Khaberni - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu linked yesterday, Thursday, the future of dealing with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Shar`, to cooperation in establishing a demilitarized zone in southwestern Syria adjacent to the occupied Golan Heights.
This comes at a time when the Syrian government says that Israel is currently playing a negative role in its country, and that it continues to violate its territory, but Damascus has tried to respond diplomatically and has not been drawn into provocation.
Netanyahu, in an interview published by the "Times of Israel" newspaper, said that the future of dealing with Al-Shar` will be determined based on cooperation in establishing a demilitarized zone in southwestern Syria.
He added that if a demilitarized zone is established in southwestern Syria and permanent protection for the Druze there is available, we can move forward with the relationship with Al-Shar`.
Under the pretext of protecting the Druze, Israel carries out attacks on Syria by launching air raids and conducting incursions from time to time, despite the Syrian government's assertion that the Druze are an integral part of the Syrian society and enjoy all their rights like any other Syrian citizens.
Netanyahu continued: When I look at Al-Shar`, I will focus on what is actually happening and what is actually being achieved, and he said he will judge Al-Shar` based on what happens on the ground.
In an interview with the Washington Post at the conclusion of his visit to Washington two days ago, Al-Shar` was asked whether Syria would agree to disarm the area south of Damascus, based on Netanyahu's demands.
Al-Shar` replied, talking about disarming an entire area would be difficult, and attributed this to the fact that if any kind of chaos prevailed, who would protect the area?!
He continued, and if this demilitarized zone is used by some parties as a platform for striking Israel, who will bear the responsibility for that? These are Syrian territories, and Syria should have the freedom to act on its lands.
He went on saying: Israel occupied the Golan to protect Israel (as it claims), and now it is imposing conditions in southern Syria to protect the Golan.
After the fall of the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in late 2024, Israeli violations in Syria escalated, despite Damascus confirming its commitment to the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement, which Tel Aviv declared had collapsed.
Although the Syrian government posed no threat to Tel Aviv, the Israeli military has carried out hundreds of airstrikes since the overthrow of Assad, killing civilians and destroying military sites, vehicles, weapons, and ammunition belonging to the Syrian army.
Israel has occupied the Syrian Golan Heights since the June 5, 1967 war, and Damascus and Tel Aviv are negotiating, mediated by the U.S., to reach a security agreement.
