Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz told US Senator Ted Cruz on Thursday that he “did not trust” Syrian Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, claiming that the allegedly reformed Islamist would use “jihadist groups” against Israel in the future.
He made the comments to Cruz during a meeting as part of his ongoing visit to Washington.
He also thanked Cruz for his unwavering support for Israel.
Katz said that while Sharaa is operating the “jihadist groups” against minorities, like Syria’s Druze community, now, those same groups would eventually turn their attention to the Golan Heights.
“From the moment we realized that the Syrian regime was behind the attacks and complicit in the massacre of the Druze, we acted with full force against it," he told Cruz.
While the US has sought to encourage warm relations between Damascus and Jerusalem, Israeli officials have applied a cautious approach to Syria, given the abuse of Druze.
"We only trust God and the IDF to protect the State of Israel,” Katz said. “I did not trust Assad the father, nor Assad the son, and certainly do not trust a leader like Sharaa, who relies on jihadist groups that he operates against minorities in Syria, such as the Druze now, and tomorrow he could use them against Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights.”
Agreement between Jerusalem and Damascus
Despite Katz insisting on the continuation of IDF presence on Mount Hermon and southern Syria being demilitarized, an Israeli official confirmed on Friday that Israel had agreed to allow Syrian forces limited access to the Sweida area for the next two days.
Sweida province has been engulfed by nearly a week of violence, which began with clashes between Bedouin fighters and Druze factions before government security forces were sent in.
In a statement on Saturday, the Syrian presidency announced an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire and urged all parties to end hostilities immediately. The interior ministry said internal security forces had begun deploying in Sweida.
Sharaa called for calm and said Syria would not be a "testing ground for partition, secession, or sectarian incitement."
"The Israeli intervention pushed the country into a dangerous phase that threatened its stability," he said in a televised speech.