'Attacks on the Kurds must stop' – Israeli FM Sa’ar calls on world to stand with Syrian Kurds against Turkish attacks
US-based think tank head says failure to support Kurds is 'a major mistake'
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar gave a briefing for foreign journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday morning, in which he decried the Turkish-backed militias that attacked Kurdish forces in Manbij, northern Syria, on Sunday.
“The attacks on the Kurds, as we saw yesterday in Manbij, must stop!” Sa’ar said. “There must be a commitment and actions by the international community to protect the Kurds, who fought bravely against ISIS. We have spoken with the U.S. administration and other countries on this matter.”
Sa’ar’s calls for aiding the Kurds were echoed by former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, who posted a message on 𝕏, saying, “Israel must convince the US not to abandon the Kurds.”
I repeat:
— איילת שקד Ayelet Shaked (@Ayelet__Shaked) December 9, 2024
Israel must convince the US not to abandon the Kurds against possible moves by the Jihadists which have the backing of Turkey. https://t.co/0tga1BAAIL
Sa’ar said the protection of minorities in Syria should be an international concern.
“It is important to ensure the protection of minorities in Syria: Kurds, Druze, Christians, and also Alawites. On this issue, we will follow actions, not words.”
The recently appointed foreign minister said the victory of the Syrian rebel groups signal that “the Iranian occupation in Syria is over,” he added.
“Assad relied for a long time on foreign forces, not on the support of his own people,” Sa’ar noted. “Therefore, the end of his regime should not be surprising.”
“Iranian control in Syria and Lebanon was artificial,” Sa’ar continued. “The Lebanese people also deserve freedom from Iranian control. Iran thought it could dominate the entire region. This aspiration has crashed against the rocks of reality.”
The foreign minister also referred to the recent Israeli strikes in Syria, saying, “What guides us is the security of the State of Israel and its citizens. Therefore, we attacked strategic weapon systems, residual capabilities of chemical weapons, and long-range missiles and rockets – so that they do not fall into the hands of extremist elements.”
Regarding the seizure of the buffer zone in the Syrian Golan Heights, Sa’ar said the “IDF took focused and temporary control of strategic areas near the border to prevent a scenario like October 7th from happening in Syria.”
Sa’ar also said Israel has connections with both the Kurds and the Druze in Syria, and expressed an interest in guaranteeing their safety following the fall of the Assad regime.
“In my understanding, there is an American commitment to the security of the Kurds,” he noted. He also noted that international interests in preserving Syria as a monolithic country might be “unrealistic.”
“A decade ago, I wrote and spoke about the fact that thinking Syria will be a single country with effective control and sovereignty over its entire territory is unrealistic,” he related. “The logical thing is to strive for autonomy for the various minorities in Syria, perhaps with a federal structure. This is something the international community will have to consider.”
Representatives of the Syrian Kurds recently contacted Israeli officials in an attempt to secure assistance and protection, according to reports in Israeli media.
Syrian rebels primarily belonging to the Syrian National Army – a jihadist group directly supported by Turkey and accused of various human rights violations – announced on Sunday that they had begun attacking Kurdish forces in Manbij, northeast of Aleppo.
Sa’ar has met with European and U.S. counterparts since the start of the rebel campaign to topple Assad, seeking to ensure the security of the Kurds in the new political landscape in Syria.
I spoke today with my friend @JanLipavsky, the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs. We discussed the events and the situation in Syria. I emphasized the need to ensure the safety of the Kurdish minority in Syria, who are still facing attacks. The Kurds fought bravely against ISIS…
— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) December 8, 2024
Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) CEO Mark Dubowitz said America's and Israel’s failure to support the Kurds “has been a major mistake.”
"America and Israel’s only true allies in the Syrian conflict are the Kurds. The rest are clear adversaries: Erdoğan, Assad, Putin, Khamenei, Hezbollah, Iraqi Shiite militias and Julani," Dubowitz argued.
America and Israel’s only true allies in the Syrian conflict are the Kurds. The rest are clear adversaries: Erdogan, Assad, Putin, Khamenei, Hezbollah, Iraqi Shiite militias and Julani. Our failure to support the Kurds over the years has been a major mistake.
— Mark Dubowitz (@mdubowitz) December 7, 2024
At the time of publication, reports in Turkish and Arab media claimed the Turkish-backed militias had gained control of Manbij. However, on social media, there were still reports of sporadic fighting in some parts of the city and the surrounding areas.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
