Israeli Foreign Minister Engages with Syrian Kurdish Foreign Relations Head; Israel Seeks New Ally!
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar spoke on the phone with Ilham Ehmed, Co-chair of the Foreign Relations Department in the Kurdish-led Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
This phone call marked the first official contact between Israel and Syrian Kurdish officials, as reported by Israel Hayom.
Israelis see the Syrian Kurds as potential allies, and over the past month, there have been positive signals of cooperation between the two sides.
For years, the YPG, YPJ, and PKK units under the US mandate and a fancy name “Syrian Democratic Forces” (SDF) have been facilitating the US occupation of northeastern Syria. Following the fall of the previous government and the rise of Turkish militants in the region, the Jazira Kurds face significant pressure from Turkey and its allied forces. There is a growing concern that the autonomy of the Syrian Kurds may be dismantled.
The Israeli government has a vested interest in preventing this outcome and seeks a new ally in northern Syria. As a result, Israel has actively worked to deter Turkey from launching attacks on the Jazira Region and targeting the SDF. This has included lobbying efforts in the US and Europe. Recently, the US has taken measures to thwart an imminent Turkish ground offensive by establishing a new military base in the Ain al-Arab (Kobani) area.
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