Post-Assad Syria and its implications for the Palestinian issue

We share with our Syrian brothers their joy at the fall of the Assad regime that oppressed them for decades, and we wish them a better future in which they enjoy freedom and dignity. However, the joy of being freed from a tyrannical regime does not mean ignoring the imminent dangers that threaten the future of Syria and its people, especially with extremist groups controlling large parts of the country. This new reality raises troubling questions about the fate of Syria and the impact of these transformations on the Palestinian cause and the region as a whole.

With the control of extremist groups, they rushed to close the offices of Palestinian factions in Damascus, in a move that reflects an incomprehensible approach towards the Palestinian cause, especially in light of their actual disregard for the suffering of the Palestinians. Rather, they showed a dangerous leniency towards the Israeli occupation of Syrian lands, including strategic areas such as Mount Hermon. This silence raises questions about the existence of undeclared understandings, especially since Israel has not been exposed to any real threat from these extremist factions throughout its history, and today it has benefited from everyone’s preoccupation with the Syrian chaos to strengthen its occupation and expand its settlements.

Syria today is threatened by a sectarian conflict whose features are beginning to appear clearly, as some organizations target certain demographic components with field executions and grave digging, in violations that threaten the social fabric that Syrians have preserved for hundreds of years.

These divisions are not far from the Palestinian interior, which shares with Syria sectarian and demographic formations that are similar to the point of overlapping. If these sectarian strifes continue in Syria, they may find their negative echo within our Palestinian society, threatening our national unity, which is a fundamental pillar in confronting the Israeli occupation and its plans.

The Levant region, historically known for its religious and ethnic diversity and the peaceful coexistence of its peoples, is today facing the risk of disintegration; extremist groups do not only pose a threat to Syria, but also affect a civilizational model that has proven the possibility of coexistence of different sects for centuries. Systematic attacks on components of Syrian society, and the revival of sectarian tendencies, threaten to obliterate this model, which means long-term repercussions on the stability of the region, including Palestine.

Amidst this bloody scene in Syria, the world has turned away from the Palestinian cause, which has given Israel a golden opportunity to intensify its violations and plans against the Palestinian people.

It is no secret that Israel and Turkey are seeking to exploit the Syrian chaos to achieve their regional ambitions.

Israel views this chaos as an opportunity to strengthen its occupation of the Golan and weaken the Palestinian resistance.

As for Turkey, it continues to support the factions, which raises doubts about its real goals in supporting the Syrian people in achieving their freedom and building their state. Türkiye is focusing on strengthening its geopolitical influence.

As Syrians celebrate the fall of the regime, they must realize that today’s joy could turn into suffering tomorrow if they do not take the initiative to protect their national unity and find wise leadership capable of achieving the aspirations of the Syrian people, far from sectarian conflicts and extremism.

The Palestinian cause, which has suffered from divisions for decades, is a clear lesson on the need to overcome extremism and extremists. What is happening in Syria reminds us all that the battle for freedom is inseparable from the need to preserve the social fabric and work on a comprehensive national project that protects the land and the people from every internal or external threat.

Syria and Palestine are linked by one destiny. The disintegration and conflicts that threaten Syria today will find their way to the entire region unless everyone, peoples and leaders, come together to confront these dangers and chart a more stable and peaceful future.