On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia following the unexpected US announcement of lifting all sanctions on the Islamist-led government, writes Reuters.
According to White House representatives, Trump urged Sharaa to join the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020 under the US-brokered «Abraham Accords».
Trump noted that the meeting with Sharaa, a former ISIS commander and ex-leader of «Al-Qaeda» in Syria, for whose head the US offered a $10 million reward during Trump's first presidential term, was «wonderful». Trump described Sharaa as a «young, attractive guy with a very strong past». «He has a real chance to keep everything in his hands», — said Trump.
Trump's Middle East trip, not including a visit to Jerusalem, has heightened doubts in Israel about the country's place in Washington's priorities.
Syria is one of Israel's major enemies, and Israeli officials continue to call Sharaa a jihadist, although he severed ties with «Al-Qaeda» in 2016. Israel opposes lifting sanctions on Syria, which would pave the way for more active involvement of humanitarian organizations and promote the growth of foreign investments.
Israel has also intensified military strikes in Syria since Sharaa came to power after the overthrow of former President Bashar Assad in December.
Meanwhile, Trump told reporters that the fact that he maintains relations with Middle Eastern countries is «very good for Israel».
The US also hopes that regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia will join the «Abraham Accords», but talks stalled after the start of the war in Gaza, and the kingdom insists that normalization of relations is impossible without the creation of a Palestinian state.
Photo: Reuters