Report: Syrian leader asked US to press Israel to withdraw its forces from buffer zone
Amid reports of more Islamist slant in Syrian school curricula, Ahmed al-Sharaa hosts German and French foreign ministers, who warn that Europe won’t fund ‘new Islamist structures’
Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa demanded that the United States tell Israel to pull its forces out of the border buffer zone and the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, the Kan public broadcaster reported on Friday.
Israeli officials told the outlet that they have received no official request on the matter, adding that the Israel Defense Forces’ presence at and across the border is necessary to protect its security.
Per the unsourced report, the rebel leader also asked the US to provide humanitarian aid to the country.
Sharaa, who came into power last month after rebel forces surged across the country and ended the Assad regime’s 50-year rule, has been trying to show his administration to be moderate, engaging in talks with Western officials to have sanctions against his country removed.
On Friday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot met with Sharaa in Damascus, marking the highest-level diplomatic visit by a major Western power since the fall of the Assad regime.
In a press conference following the meeting, Baerbock said lifting sanctions on Syria will depend on the political process going forward, adding that Europe will not fund the creation of new Islamist structures in Syria.
“Europe will support, but Europe would not be a sponsor of new Islamist structures,” Baerbock said.
Baerbock said she and Barrot lobbied Sharaa to cut ties with Russia, which was a key ally of the Assad regime, the report said.
According to the Telegraph, Baerbock added that “women’s rights are a yardstick” for determining the progress in Syria’s human rights situation and stressed that European support is contingent upon all groups in Syria — including women and Kurds — being included in the country’s transitional process.
The Telegraph reported that before the meeting, Sharaa shook hands with Barrot but greeted Baerbock by placing his hand over his heart, which is common among Muslim men when interacting with women.
The German Bild outlet called the move a “scandal.” Sharaa was previously criticized for asking a woman to cover her hair before taking a photograph with her. Baerbock did not cover her hair during her visit.
Speaking before the meeting, the German diplomat warned against “excessively long deadlines for elections,” the Telegraph reported. Sharaa has said it could take up to four years for new elections to be held in Syria.
Baerbock also called out “steps to Islamize the justice or education systems.”
Baerbock’s warning followed reports that the new government has already decided to implement a more Islamist slant into Syrian schools’ curricula.
One proposed change would see the term “defending the nation” being changed to “defending Allah.”
The reform also calls for removing evolution and the Big Bang Theory from science education and excluding references to deities worshiped in Syria before Islam. Moreover, the historical role of Queen Zenobia, who ruled the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra during the Roman era, seems to have been diminished.
Syrian Education Minister Nazir al-Qadri downplayed the changes, saying curriculums will remain unchanged until specialized committees review and revise them, the BBC reported.
According to al-Qadri, the only changes implemented were the removal of content glorifying the “defunct Assad regime” and the replacement of the old regime’s flag with the Syrian revolutionary flag. He also said “inaccuracies” in Islamic content were corrected.
According to the BBC, the changes have been welcomed by some but have also drawn criticism from activists fearing that the country’s new leadership will not incorporate outside voices when implementing new policies.
Some have called for protests to be held before the new school term begins on Sunday.
The new government will hold a “National Dialogue Conference” to address the activists’ fears, having already held meetings with various minority groups in Syria. The activists believe, however, that unilateral changes like those in the education system undermine such efforts.
