The final communique of Syria’s National Dialogue Conference in February envisioned that the country would become a ‘state of citizenship’ within weeks or months. After half a century of rule by the Assad family, and after 13 years of devastating civil war, the country’s problems could not be described simply as challenges. Syria is a minefield.
From Israel’s occupation and airstrikes to the return of Islamic State (which attacked Douweila Church in the Damascus suburbs last month), the interference of Assad’s former ally Iran, the dire economic situation, and sectarian fighting, Syria is awash with mines. Some have already detonated. Earlier this month, fighting between Druze and Bedouins killed around 1,000 people in Suweida, while in March, fighting involving the country’s Alawite minority led to a similar number of deaths.
The new government is trying to defuse these mines one-by-one. In this Herculean task, it is benefitting from unprecedented Arab and international support, including Saudi investment and the United States’ decision to ease Assad-era sanctions. Yet Israel, which attacked the new Syrian government two weeks ago, still strains at the leash. Had it not been for Saudi, Jordanian, Turkish, and American pressure, Israel could have done even more damage.
Stability sought
Amid the chaos, a Saudi initiative produced a joint statement from ten Arab countries plus Türkiye. It reaffirmed support for Syria’s security, unity, stability, and sovereignty, while rejecting all foreign interference in Syrian affairs and condemning the repeated Israeli strikes that undermine the Syrian government’s efforts to build a new Syria. The statement underscored that Syria’s security and stability is a cornerstone of regional peace and therefore a collective top priority.
