Israel lobbying US to retain Russia’s presence in Syria to counter Turkiye’s influence

Israel has reportedly been lobbying the United States to help maintain Russia’s presence in post-Assad Syria, in an attempt to keep the new Syrian authorities weak and counter Turkiye’s influence in the country.

According to Reuters news agency, which cited four unnamed sources familiar with the developments, Israel has held meetings with senior US officials in Washington and with American congressional representatives in Israel over the past month to convey Tel Aviv’s fears regarding Syria’s new authorities.

Since the rebel takeover of Syria and the collapse of the late Assad regime almost three months ago, Israeli officials have repeatedly expressed their concerns over the country’s new government and its national and regional ambitions, with Israeli forces having occupied more of Syrian territory south of the capital Damascus over those months.

Aside from meetings with American officials, Israeli officials also reportedly made their views clear to the US in a “white paper” they wrote up, reiterating apparent fears of the security threat the new Syrian authorities and former rebels could allegedly pose to Tel Aviv.

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A primary Israeli policy goal, according to the sources, is to now keep Syria divided and decentralised, with a key focus on countering Turkish influence increasingly embedding itself throughout the newly-liberated country, particularly amid Ankara’s diplomatic, security, and infrastructural assistance to the new authorities in Damascus.

One effective way of achieving those goals, in the eyes of Tel Aviv, is reportedly to seek the US’s help in facilitating Russia’s retention of its Mediterranean naval base in Tartus and its Hmeimim air base in Latakia.

According to the sources, some of those present at a meeting with US officials were surprised at Israeli officials’ belief that Russia’s continued presence would be a positive move, especially as Turkiye would – as a key NATO member state – conceptually and practically help prevent any attacks on Israel from Syria. The Israelis, however, were reportedly “adamant” toward the contrary.

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