Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is open to normalizing relations with Israel, a Republican congressman who recently visited Syria told The Jerusalem Post.
“Sharaa said that he was open to the Abraham Accords, which would put them in good standing with Israel, other Middle Eastern countries, and, of course, the United States,” Republican Indiana Rep. Marlin Stutzman told the Post in an exclusive interview.
Stutzman, along with Republican Florida Rep. Cory Mills, met with the president in Damascus on Saturday.“He said there obviously has to be negotiations, and steps must be taken.”
Syria must remain unified, Sharaa tells US Congressman Stutzman
Stutzman outlined the Syrian president’s conditions for normalization with Israel – chief among them that Syria must remain a unified and sovereign state.
“Sharaa’s concerns are that the country of Syria would be divided up into regions. He didn’t want to see that happen,” he said. “He wanted to see the country of Syria stay unified. He also mentioned that Israel’s encroachment near the Golan Heights must be addressed, and there should be no further bombings in Syria by Israel. I truly believe he is open to dialogue.”
Stutzman and Mills were the first US lawmakers to visit Syria since the Assad regime was toppled a few months ago.
“There were signs in Damascus saying, ‘Make Syria Great Again.’ The Syrian people definitely admire President [Donald] Trump,” Stutzman told the Post. “I genuinely sensed a desire to engage in dialogue and potentially build a relationship with the United States.”
Rebuilding Syria will require a stable government, Stutzman tells Post
During their visit, the congressmen met with the Christian community and senior government officials and toured sites where president Bashar al-Assad had previously bombed his own people. They also visited prisons where dissidents were detained, tortured, and executed.
“The Syrian people are better off today than they were six months ago under Assad. I do think it’s possible to rebuild Syria, but it requires a stable government. First and foremost, the government must not work against its own citizens.”
The most intriguing meeting, according to the congressmen, was with Sharaa himself. Stutzman said the president told them that he wants to transform Syria into something entirely different from what it has been over the past decades.
“He was excited to talk about trade, commerce, tourism, and developing trade routes from the south to the north and into Europe, which could reduce transport times significantly,” he told the Post.
Stutzman acknowledged Sharaa’s past as a former al-Qaeda member, but said his first impression was that the president has undergone a transformation.
“We had a very good conversation,” said Stutzman. “He’s very young – early 40s. He was calm and thoughtful. You could tell he’s been working hard with everything happening since he took control of Syria.”
Tackling US sanctions will mean meeting conditions on human rights, Israel
To realize his ambitions for Syria, the president understands he must convince the Trump administration to lift sanctions.
“He’s not asking the US for money, just for sanctions to be removed – and I think it’s something that should be considered,” Stutzman said.
He clarified that the US administration has conditions for lifting sanctions, including better relations with Israel.“The steps that need to be taken include ensuring respect for human rights, women’s rights, religious freedom, and treating all Syrians with dignity – no one should be treated as a minority or less than human.
“And, of course, maintaining a respectful and secure relationship with Israel, and that Syria doesn’t become a training ground for terrorism, doesn’t become a proxy for Iran or for China or Russia, and that they work as a country within the region.”
Stutzman calls on officials to take a chance on Sharaa
Top Israeli officials have remained skeptical of the president’s new tone. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said a few weeks ago that Sharaa and his government “were jihadists and remain jihadists – even if they’re now wearing suits.”Stutzman, through the Post, sent a message to his counterparts in Israel.
“It’s clear this regime is preferable to Assad’s. Talk to him – what do you have to lose? Could he deceive us? Yes – and shame on him if he does. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk to him. If he follows through on the steps we all consider important, then we can talk about the next stage. Not engaging with him could drive him back toward Russia and Iran.”
Ultimately, Stutzman said he believes Trump will decide what happens with US policy on Syria and set the terms for Syria’s return to the international community.
Sharaa, he said, wants to open a new chapter – but must be careful not to deceive.
“If President al-Sharaa does what he says he wants to do, Syria could become prosperous – a place people compare to Istanbul. A country thriving on the global stage. This is an incredible opportunity for him – if he gets it right. If he gets it wrong, there will be consequences.”