Reuters: Israel Lobbying the U.S. to Keep Moscow's Bases in 'Weak' Syria

Reuters reported, citing four informed sources, that Israel is lobbying the United States to keep Syria 'weak and decentralized,' including allowing Moscow to maintain its military bases in Syria to counter Turkey's growing influence in the country. The report was published on Friday, March 1, and the names of the four sources, three of whom are American, have not been disclosed. According to these sources, Turkey's often tense relations with Israel escalated during the Gaza war, and Israeli officials have told Washington that the new Islamist rulers of Syria, supported by Ankara, are a threat to their borders. The report states that Israel communicated its views on this matter last month during meetings between officials of the two countries in Washington, and then during a visit by U.S. congressional representatives to Israel. Neither Israel, the U.S., nor officials from Syria and Turkey have yet reacted to this report. Reuters noted that it is unclear how much the U.S. has considered Israel's proposals, reminding that the Trump administration has not commented much on Syria so far, and the issues of sanctions and the future of U.S. forces stationed in northeastern Syria remain ambiguous. Aaron Land, an analyst at the Center for International Policy in the U.S., told Reuters: 'Israel's big fear is that Turkey will intervene to protect the new Islamist regime in Syria, and ultimately Syria could become a base for Hamas and other militants.' This analyst added that Syria is currently not a focal point for Washington, and therefore, Israel has a good chance to influence the U.S. perspective on this issue. In recent months, Israel has openly expressed its distrust of the new Syrian rulers led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently emphasized that his country will not tolerate the presence of Tahrir al-Sham or any other forces affiliated with the new rulers in southern Syria, calling for the complete demilitarization of the region. Israeli attacks on Syrian military bases have continued since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in the country, and Israeli forces are also stationed in the UN-monitored demilitarized zone in Syria. According to Reuters, Israel is now deeply concerned about Turkey's role as a close ally of the new Syrian rulers. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for the formation of a coalition of Islamic countries to counter the 'growing expansionist threat' of Israel earlier this year. Gideon Sa'ar, Israel's foreign minister, recently stated that his country is concerned that Turkey is supporting Iran's efforts to rebuild Hezbollah and that Islamist groups in Syria are creating another front against Israel. Reuters, citing its sources, reported that Israeli officials are trying to convince Washington that Moscow should maintain its bases in Syria to contain Turkey. Russia has a naval base in the coastal province of Tartus and an airbase named 'Khmeimim' in the province of Latakia. According to Reuters, when Israeli officials proposed the continuation of Russia's presence in Syria during meetings with American officials, some attendees were surprised and said that Turkey, as a NATO member, would provide better security guarantees for Israel. However, according to Reuters sources, Israeli officials firmly rejected this idea. In recent weeks, reports have emerged about negotiations between the new Syrian rulers and Moscow officials regarding the future of Russian military bases in the country. Ahmad al-Shara, the new ruler of Syria, stated about three months ago that Damascus does not seek confrontation with Israel or other countries. However, according to Reuters, Israel has expressed concern in its discussions with the U.S. that the new Syrian government could become a serious threat and that the new armed forces of Syria might one day attack this country. Bashar al-Assad, the ousted president of Syria, despite his alliance with Iran, kept the border areas with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights quiet for years, but the fall of his regime disrupted the balance of power in the Middle East. According to Reuters, Israel's efforts to 'keep Syria weak' represent a completely different approach from other U.S. allies in the region, especially Saudi Arabia, which announced last month that it is in talks with the U.S. and the EU to help lift Western sanctions against Damascus. The Reuters report comes as it is reported that Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, is set to travel to Ankara to meet with Turkish officials on Tuesday.