The de facto ruler of Syria, Abu Muhammad al-Jolani (Ahmed al-Sharaa), has made some reassuring remarks about not wanting to start or join a conflict involving Israel.
“Abu Muhammad al-Jolani’s Attitude Toward Israel,” by Yoni Ben Menachem, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, January 2, 2025:
…To date, al-Jolani has refrained from military action against IDF forces despite the expansion of the buffer zone in the Golan Heights and Israel’s massive bombings that destroyed Bashar Assad’s weapons arsenal.
In fact, he no doubt welcomed the destruction of Assad’s arsenal, for fear that they could have been seized by the Alawites who made up the officer corps in Assad’s army, and used against the new regime.
His responses have been limited to filing official complaints with the UN Security Council.
In interviews with foreign media, al-Jolani stated that Israel has no role in Syria after Iran and its affiliates were expelled following Assad’s fall….
He also must have welcomed, of course, the IDF’s devastation of Hezbollah, that resulted in thousands of its combatants being killed, and thousands of others being severely wounded from the “exploding pagers.” Israeli airstrikes reduced Hezbollah’s prewar arsenal of 150,000 rockets and missiles by 80%. That left Hezbollah so weakened that it was unable to come to Assad’s defense when the rebels, led by al-Jolani’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), moved from their stronghold in Idlib province to take over Aleppo, then Homs, and finally, Damascus., all within little more than a week.
Al-Jolani has not threatened war, or any kind of conflict, with Israel, and made clear he has other priorities — to stabilize Syria, and to disarm those who, like the Alawite officer corps, have not yet reconciled themselves to the new regime. He has not called on Syrians near the Israeli border to oppose IDF operations, and — in a move that will please Israel — has demanded the disarmament of Palestinian factions in Syria. He wants the Syrian national army to be the only armed group in the country.
Some Israeli security officials regard al-Jolani as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.” Others seem inclined to take him at face value, as someone who cares only for the wellbeing of Syria, is trying to heal the wounds from 14 years of civil war, remains indifferent to the Palestinians, and doesn’t want them to drag his country into a conflict with Israel that Syria can’t possibly win.
But caution is warranted. The new textbooks in Syria of course eliminate all praise, direct and indirect, of the Assad family, father and son, but when it comes to Israel and Jews, those textbooks remain unchanged. Worse still, their “nationalist” message has been replaced by content that is of a clear Islamic bent. More on this discovery can be found here: “New Syrian government issues textbooks filled with antisemitism and praise for terrorists,” by Jane Prinsley, Jewish Chronicle, February 7, 2025:
Anti-Jewish passages in Syrian textbooks will remain under the new HTS-led regime, which has announced Islamist updates to the curriculum, according to an education watchdog.
Directives from Syria’s education ministry last month set the tone of classroom instruction under the new regime. According to the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (Impact-se), which has analysed the announced changes, anti-Jewish sentiment will remain in the books and an increasingly Islamist perspective will be introduced.
Education Minister al-Qadiri has stated in the media that the proposed changes are limited to inaccuracies in Islamic Education, but in their 50-page report, Impact-se has found the changes are more extensive.
Based on a list of planned alterations to school textbooks, one former reference in a book aimed at six to seven-year-olds to “those who have gone astray from the path of goodness” will be replaced with more explicit wording, referencing “the Jews and Christians”.
“This change introduces an overtly negative portrayal of Jews and Christians to young, impressionable students,” Impact-se said in their report.
Other extracts in textbooks depict Jews and Zionists with a reference to “global dominance,” according to the watchdog.
A history textbook for 15 – 16-year-olds describes Jews as adhering to the “extremist idea” that they are “God’s chosen people,” presenting Judaism as “ethnically exclusive”.
Another textbook describes Zionism as a “racist and expansionist” worldview, which “believes that all the world’s resources must be employed to serve the Zionist Entity and protect it.”
Anti-Israel content is set to remain in textbooks under the new changes.
A primary level Arabic textbook will continue to portray Palestinian terrorist Dalal al-Mughrabi as a hero. Mughrabi is notorious for the 1978 Coastal Road bus attack that killed 38 Israeli civilians, including 13 children.
Those who were impressed by al-Jolani’s pretense of being a “moderate,” uninterested in making war on the Jewish state, should note these disturbing anti-Israel excerpts, including the glorification of a mass murderer of Israelis, in the new textbooks that have retained this material from the previous ones; the same Jew-hatred will now be fed to Syrian children.
Billy says
The Muslim regime in Syria needs money, but the WEST including America and the EU should give NO MONEY to ANY of the 50+ Islamic Countries because of Islam’s terrorism, discrimination, deceit, and violence against Non-Muslims.
Islam is a MUSLIM TERRORIST ORGANIZATION(MTO) against Non-Muslims and NOT A PEACEFUL RELIGION UNDER WESTERN LAWS because Islam funds, teaches, and promotes a Terrorist Criminal Organization with Muslims as Terrorists for Allah(Quran 2:216; 4:95; 8:12,39,74; 9:5,29,41,49, 21:921; 88,111,123;21:92; 49:15 and more). More specifically, Islam is a Muslim Terrorist Ideology and Murderous, Criminal Enterprise of Intolerance, continuous war, discrimination, segregation, supremacy, genocide, polygamy, propaganda, deceit, hatred, incitement, sedition, rape, terrorism, and violence against all Non-Muslims as taught in the Quran.
The FRUIT of Islam is incessant WAR, terrorism, discrimination, slavery, malice, ISLAMIZATION, and violence against all Non-Muslims; this FACT must be taught and broadcast to the general public to prohibit Islam, its Mosques, its Courts, and its Schools. Also, Islam is an Antichrist System terrorizing Israel, Christians, and Non-Muslims. Plus, there is NO EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW in Islam or in Islamic Law(Quran 98:6-7; 9:29 and more). In Sahih Bukhari(V6,B60,N80), Abu Huraira narrates, “‘You(Muslims) are the best of peoples ever raised for mankind.’ means, the best of peoples for the people, as you bring them[Non-Muslims] with chains on their necks till they embrace Islam[see Quran 3:110].” See also Quran 3:22,151; 69:30-32; 98:6.
Non-Muslims CANNOT have peace with Islam and its Muslims because Islam and its murderous god, Allah, demand a continuous, Muslim war against unbelievers where Non-Muslims are CRIMINALS under Islam when Allah in Qur’an 8:39 says, “And engage in war with them[Non-Muslims] until there will not be sedition and the religion will be completely to Allah…” HENCE, NON-MUSLIMS MUST MAKE ISLAM, ITS MOSQUES, ITS SCHOOLS, ITS ORGANIZATIONS, ETC. ILLEGAL UNDER THE LAW. Similarly, Islam and its many Organizations must be identified and publicly declared to be MUSLIM TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS for their funding, teaching, and support of terrorism, violence, and discrimination against Non-Muslims(eg. Quran 9:5,29,111 and more).
Western Muslims seek to ensure Islam’s legitimacy against Non-Muslim societies, to impose Islamic Law in Western Legal Systems, and to advance Islam’s totalitarian goals to conquer the West. Consequently, Islam promotes a limitless, terroristic, Muslim war against unbelievers when Allah in Qur’an 49:15 says, “Surely the believers are only those who believed in Allah and his messenger. They do not doubt, and they performed JIHAD with THEIR MONEY AND THEIR LIVES for the sake of Allah. Those are the truthful.”
Deceitful Allah promises Heavenly Paradise to Muslims for acts of Muslim killing in terrorist attacks against Non-Muslims and Muslim hypocrites when Quran 9:111 says, “Surely Allah has purchased from the believers[Muslims] their souls and their money so that they may have the garden[Heavenly Paradise]. They engage in war for the sake of Allah, so they kill and are killed…”
Islam champions Muslim acts of slaughter against Non-Muslims for not becoming Muslims as Allah in Quran 8:12 says, “When your lord revealed to the angels: ‘I am with you so make firm those who believed[Muslims]. I will cast a terror into the hearts of those who became infidels[Non-Muslims]. So strike above their necks(decapitation), and strike off(chop off) every finger from them.’”
Allah instructs Muslims to attack Non-Muslims when Quran 9:29 says, “Engage in war with those who do not believe in Allah nor in the last day. Nor forbid what Allah and his messenger forbid[via Islam’s Law, Sharia], nor believe in the religion of the truth[Islam] among those who have been given the book[Christians and Jews] until they pay the jizyah[extortion payment] out of hand and they are subdued[disgraced].”
Islam MEANS SURRENDER, NOT submission. Allah in Islam demands SURRENDER, voluntarily or not, by becoming a Muslim. On other hand, SUBMISSION, ‘to Submit’, is a voluntary act to follow the authority or control of another. Allah in Quran 49:14 says, “’The Bedouins said, ‘We believed.’ Say,’You did not believe. But say, ‘We surrender (became Muslim as a result of fear).’ And the faith has not entered your hearts. And if you obey Allah and his messenger, he will not decrease anything from your works. Surely Allah is forgiving, merciful.’” Failure to surrender by becoming a Muslim brings punishment including the punishment of death. Islam does NOT offer love and peace to anyone who is NOT A MUSLIM. Allah in Quran 48:29 says, “Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger, and those who are with him are severe against the infidels but full of tenderness among themselves…”
Allah instructs true believers, Muslims, to perform jihad, religious war, with their money and with their lives. Allah in Quran 49:15 says, “Surely the believers are only those who believed in Allah and his messenger. Then they do not doubt, and they performed JIHAD with THEIR MONEY AND THEIR LIVES for the sake of Allah. Those are the truthful.”
࿗Infidel࿘ says
I do think that HTS is now in a building phase, given how weak Syria is. But once the recovery happens – assuming that they get helped either by Turkey or by some Arab countries, such as Qatar, then the question is on who they will train their guns. Will it be the residual Alawites, Christians, Kurds and Druze? Or will it be Israel, once those groups are too weakened?
I just hope that they don’t become a new customer of Russian weaponry the way the Assads were. Although they have indicated that they’ll let Russia retain Tartus and Hmeimim bases, which would beg the question: what would they expect from Moscow in return?
I do think that even if Israel manages to see off the Palis to any other land – Somalia or Western Sahara or wherever, it’ll see a renewal of the threats that it used to during the Nasser era from Egypt & Syria. We had the discussion a few days ago about why Egypt still needs to be armed to the teeth, and now, Syria looks like it’s on a mend, since it has broken off relations w/ Iran. I just fear that the two of them could spring a surprise on Israel like they did in 1967, if Jerusalem is not careful
abu taleb says
I hope the Syrian people will realize the true evil of Islam after this Islamization the same way the Iranians start to wake up from their Islamic nightmare.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
There is a difference b/w Iranians and Arabs. Iranians see islam as a foreign ideology that does nothing for it. It doesn’t even declare Farsis a superior race – not even Twelver islam does. That credit is reserved exclusively for Arabs
Which brings us to the Arabs. Since islam is a platform of Arab supremacy, which has no other achievements unrelated to islam to boast of, Arabs are more clingy to islam. It explains why, despite being liberated by US, Iraqis chose to make themselves an islamic republic, albeit somewhat milder than Iran. Same thing is true about all Arab countries: if any of them are liberated from their despotic regimes, islam is their first refuge
On top of that, Syria had cracked down on sunni islam – the majority sect for 50 years, so their experience is very different from Iran. Besides, b’cos Iran backed the Alawite regime for 40 of those 50 years, the new regime has openly decided not to have any diplomatic relations w/ Iran, even though they are more forgiving of Russia. I think Syria will politically resemble Turkey more than any other country while this new regime is in power. Only question is whether Arab countries, like Saudi Arabia or Egypt, will manage to win over Syria from Turkish influence by appealing to their Arab identity, not just their islamic one
John Archer says
Now, how and when did the great Assyrians become Arabs?
Lord have mercy!
࿗Infidel࿘ says
They never did. They’re still Christians. It’s the Arabs who started their conquests not from Medina or Mecca, but from Damascus. There is no evidence that Muhammad, or the Rashidun caliphs ever existed. Earliest documented Arab ruler was Muawiya starting the Umayyad caliphs, which would explain why Damascus was the first city to “fall” to the Arabs, despite cities like Petra and Jerusalem being on the way
Beneath the Veil of Consciousness says
A sleeping serpent is still a serpent, nonetheless.
BOYCOTT ALL MUSLIM COUNTRIES.
THEY ARE CESSPOOLS OF HATRED.
somehistory says
Hopefully, any Christians and Jews there will be able to get out and do so asap.