Syrian President Offers New Jersey in Exchange for Golan Heights

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad jokingly responded to a proposal from then-U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the Golan Heights. During a speech in New York, Assad recounted a conversation with Trump where the U.S. president suggested Syria relinquish the Golan Heights as part of a potential peace deal with Israel. According to Assad, he countered by suggesting Trump offer New Jersey to Israel instead, arguing that the Golan Heights are Syrian territory, not American. He further quipped that Trump might find it easier to give up New Jersey as it traditionally supports Democrats, eliciting laughter from the audience.

Despite the humor, Assad emphasized that his joke reflected Damascus's serious stance: "Regardless of this joke, there is a population in the Golan Heights, and no one has the right to give them up. Neither the Syrian president nor the American president." Later, addressing the UN General Assembly, Assad reiterated that the Golan Heights would remain Syrian territory and that annexation attempts violate UN Security Council resolutions.

Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Itamar Rabinovich, who participated in past Syrian-Israeli negotiations, suggested a potential arrangement where Syria retains formal sovereignty over the Golan Heights while Israel gains de facto control through a long-term lease. Rabinovich believes this could allow both sides to maintain their political interpretations of an agreement, though he acknowledged this proposal had not been officially presented to Syria.

The article also touches on Assad's domestic standing and relations with Washington, noting his success in managing the country's complex situation while receiving political and economic support from the U.S., European nations, and Gulf states.

A separate section discusses Professor Ron Shaham's book, "Not Just Jihad: What You're Not Told About Islam." Shaham critiques the view of Islam solely as a religion of violence or an obstacle to peace, analyzing various interpretations of Islamic texts and traditions. He argues that neither the assertion that Islam inherently opposes peace with Israel nor the claim that it is inherently peaceful is accurate, attributing such disputes to differing interpretations of religious sources. Shaham also highlights the existence of peaceful interpretations of jihad that remain on the periphery of public discourse.

Finally, the article notes Shaham's distinction between Islam as a religion and political Islam, which seeks to establish religious principles as the basis for state governance, suggesting religion can be used as a political tool. The piece also references a previous report by "Cursor" about Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz's response to Syrian threats.