Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli on Tuesday called for the elimination of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, amid ongoing Israeli strikes targeting the regime in Syria. Chikli's statement comes even as diplomatic efforts continue to promote a potential security agreement between the two countries.
"If it looks like Hamas, talks like Hamas, and acts like Hamas, it's Hamas!" Chikli declared. "We must not stand idly by in the face of the Islamist-Nazi terror regime of Al-Qaeda in a suit and tie. Anyone who thinks Ahmad al-Shara is a legitimate leader is gravely mistaken — he is a terrorist, a barbaric murderer who should be eliminated without delay.
"We saw the horrific massacre of the Alawites, met with deafening silence from European leaders, and now we are witnessing the slaughter and humiliation of the Druze. The terror regime in Syria must be fought."
Trump's new friend
In recent days, Israel has carried out multiple airstrikes in southwestern Syria, following the movement of regime tanks toward Sweida, home to the country's largest Druze population.
Despite the military escalation, there have been increasing reports of a budding security agreement between Israel and Syria, potentially as part of the Abraham Accords framework. Former US President Donald Trump, during a landmark meeting with al-Sharaa in May, reportedly urged him to join the accords. Trump also removed Syria from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Additionally, recent reports indicate meetings between senior Israeli and Syrian officials in Azerbaijan. Syrian media claimed last week that National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi met with al-Sharaa in the United Arab Emirates. While this meeting has not been officially confirmed, Israel Hayom revealed that dialogue with the Syrian regime is indeed ongoing.
