Sharaa begins pushing back on Israeli demands, decries Syria's dangerous position

 Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is increasingly concerned about Israel’s demands for Syria to be demilitarized between Damascus and the Golan. Recent Israeli raids near the border, including a deadly raid on November 26 targeting the village of Beit Jinn, are worrying Damascus.

Israel has said it wants Syria to be demilitarized in the south. This would set up a power vacuum along the border. The vacuum would then lead to possible threats to Israel and more Israeli incursions. On the other hand, from Jerusalem’s perspective, the Syrian government could also pose a threat.

Sharaa often remains relatively quiet on issues relating to Israel. He doesn’t want a conflict and has preferred to focus on other issues. However, at the annual Doha Forum, he spoke about the challenges from Damascus’s point of view.

“Sharaa said Saturday that by seeking a demilitarized zone in his country’s south, Israel puts Syria in a dangerous position, as Israeli forces keep up operations in the area,” Arab News noted.

The report said that Syria has insisted on respecting a 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel, which has held for over 50 years – in one way or another, it is a successful agreement,” Sharaa told the forum. He wants a return to the 1974 status quo that existed from 1974 to 2024. “Seeking other agreements such as a demilitarized zone... could lead us to a dangerous place,” he said.

Al-Arabiya also reported on Sharaa’s comments: “During his participation in the Doha Forum... Sharaa stated that Damascus respects the 1974 agreement with Israel. He warned that Israel’s efforts to establish a buffer zone in southern Syria would place the country in a dangerous position.

He also said Israel was exporting crisis to other countries, it said. “Sharaa confirmed that since December 8, [2024], Israel has carried out more than 1,000 airstrikes and 400 military ground incursions into Syria to date.”

Speaking at a session called “Establishing Justice... From Promises to Tangible Reality,” the Syrian leader said, “Israel manages its crises in the region by exporting crises to other countries – in an attempt to evade the horrific massacres it committed in the Gaza Strip – and acts as if it is fighting ghosts, and justifies its actions with security concerns and unrest, projecting the events of October 7 onto everything that is happening around it.”

He added that since December 8, “Syria has sent clear and positive messages, affirming its commitment to peace and regional stability, and has also clearly expressed its desire to be a stable country and not interested in exporting conflicts to other countries, including Israel. However, Israel has met this approach with extreme violence.”

Syria's Sharaa begins pushing back on Israel

Syria’s leader has been focused on other issues throughout the year, including trying to get sanctions relief for Syria.

In essence, the Syrian leader was beginning to push back on Israel’s demands. The demands were made clear by Israel’s prime minister a week ago, when visiting soldiers were wounded in the November 26 to 27 clashes in Beit Jinn.

Syria has had impressive support globally, including from US President Donald Trump’s administration. He has warned Israel against tensions with Syria and has said he hopes for dialogue.

Sharaa “reaffirmed Syria’s full commitment to the 1974 agreement and its respect for this agreement, which has stood the test of time for more than 50 years successfully and enjoys international consensus and Security Council consensus, warning against tampering with it and seeking other agreements such as the establishment of a buffer zone or the like, which opens the door to dangerous paths with uncertain outcomes,” Al-Arabiya noted.

Sharaa also noted that a demilitarized zone could lead to more tensions.

He “pointed out that the absence of the Syrian army and Syrian security forces in southwestern Syria raises fundamental questions about how to ensure security there,” Al-Arabiya noted.

The US is involved in negotiations between Israel and Syria. Speaking of Syria, Sharaa said, “The path the country is taking is the right one, and every step taken has served the general Syrian interest.”