Jolani Nods to Normalization, Says Syria, Israel ‘Have Common Enemies’

Date: 01 June 2025 - 22:03

News ID: ۱۴۰۲۰۶

DAMASCUS (Dispatches) – Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, head of the HTS-led administration in Syria, has told a publication serving the Jewish community in Damascus that “the reality is, we have common enemies — and we can play a major role in regional security.”
Jolani’s comments echo a line he has maintained since the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024. At the time, Jolani signaled a significant policy shift by expressing openness toward the Israeli regime while naming the Lebanon-based resistance group Hezbollah and Iran as his primary adversaries.
“We are open to friendship with everyone in the region — including Israel. We don’t have enemies other than the Assad regime, Hezbollah, and Iran,” Jolani said in a December 9, 2024, interview.
Despite ongoing Israeli airstrikes, territorial encroachments, and the theft of Syrian resources, Jolani reaffirmed his position to the Jewish Journal.
In his talk with the Journal, Jolani also voiced support for reviving the principles of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement (Dofa Accord), portraying it not merely as a ceasefire line, but as a foundation for mutual restraint and civilian protection.
“Syria’s Druze are not pawns,” he said. “They are citizens — deeply rooted, historically loyal, and deserving of every protection under the law. Their safety is non-negotiable.”
“Peace must be earned through mutual respect, not fear. We will engage where there is honesty and a clear path to coexistence — and walk away from anything less,” Jolani added.
His remarks come two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump announced his intention, during a visit to Riyadh, to lift all U.S. sanctions on Syria. The decision followed reports that the new Syrian administration had proposed making “peace” with the Israeli regime.
“Now it is their time to shine. We are taking them (the sanctions) all off. Good luck, Syria. Show us something very special,” Trump said.
Shortly after Trump’s announcement, the European Union lifted economic sanctions imposed against Syria, as the HTS administration. The European Council adopted legal acts lifting all economic sanctions on Syria.
Before Trump’s remarks, Jolani had reportedly proposed “peace” with Tel Aviv and floated symbolic gestures such as the construction of a “Trump Tower” in Damascus.
The HTS, formerly aligned with Al-Qaeda in Syria, seized control of Syria in December last year amid a barrage of Israeli airstrikes targeting both civilian and military infrastructure in the Arab country.
Before its takeover, the group led a prolonged and deadly insurgency against Syria’s former elected government, which had maintained a firm anti-Israel policy.