Israel is pressuring the United States to ensure Syria remains weak and fragmented, including by allowing Russia to maintain its military bases there to counter Turkey's growing influence in the country, Reuters first reported, citing four sources familiar with the matter.
Israeli officials, alarmed by the Islamist rulers now in power in Syria with Ankara's backing, have conveyed to Washington that they pose a threat to Israel's borders, according to the sources.
Concern: Syria becoming a base for Hamas
The lobbying efforts indicate a coordinated Israeli campaign to influence US policy at a critical juncture for Syria, as the Islamists who ousted Bashar al-Assad seek to stabilize the fractured country and persuade Washington to lift crippling sanctions.
"Israel's biggest fear is that Turkey will intervene to protect the new Islamist regime in Syria, which would then become a base for Hamas and other militants," said Aron Lund, a fellow at the US-based Century International research institute. It remains unclear to what extent President Donald Trump's administration is considering adopting Israel's proposals, the sources told Reuters.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that "Israel will not tolerate the presence of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham or any other force affiliated with the new regime in southern Syria and demands that the area be demilitarized."
Following Assad's ouster, Israel has conducted extensive airstrikes on Syrian military bases and deployed forces to a UN-monitored demilitarized zone inside Syria.
