Syrian President Urges Israel to Rethink Policy Towards Syria

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, speaking at an Atlantic Council event in New York on Tuesday night, acknowledged the events of October 7th but argued they should not dictate Israel's policy toward Syria. He stated, "It is not possible to build a complete policy on one incident in history." Assad emphasized that for Israel to protect its own security, it must respect the security of others, referencing the Gaza conflict where he noted over 70,000 people, many women and children, have been killed. He asserted that Israel's current policies, pursued in the name of its security, are creating more problems in the region and called for a change.

Assad also touched upon the Golan Heights, humorously recalling a conversation with then-U.S. President Donald Trump where he suggested Trump give Syria New Jersey instead of the Golan, as the Golan belongs to its residents. He stressed seriously that neither the Syrian president, the U.S. president, nor anyone else has the right to relinquish the Golan Heights. The Syrian leader also revealed that Syria and Israel were once very close to a political settlement, reaching "90% of an agreement" before Israel withdrew at the last minute for unspecified reasons.