{"id":45579,"date":"2025-04-26T07:44:48","date_gmt":"2025-04-26T07:44:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/?p=45579"},"modified":"2025-04-26T07:44:48","modified_gmt":"2025-04-26T07:44:48","slug":"syrian-president-open-the-abraham-accords-ready-for-good-standing-with-israel-says-us-congressman-in-interview-to-jerusalem-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/syrian-president-open-the-abraham-accords-ready-for-good-standing-with-israel-says-us-congressman-in-interview-to-jerusalem-post\/","title":{"rendered":"Syrian President Open the Abraham Accords ! Ready for Good Standing with Israel ! Says US Congressman in Interview to Jerusalem Post"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45580\" src=\"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Syria-Israel-USA.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"457\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Syria-Israel-USA.jpg 700w, https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Syria-Israel-USA-300x196.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Syria-Israel-USA-696x454.jpg 696w, https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Syria-Israel-USA-643x420.jpg 643w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Syria wants peace with Israel under one condition, US congressman tells &#8216;Post&#8217; &#8211; exclusive<\/em><br \/>\n<em>In an exclusive interview with the &#8216;Post&#8217;, congressman Stutzman said Syria&#8217;s president said he was open to normalizing ties with Israel.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>By Amichai Stein for Jerusalem Post &#8211; 24 April 2025<\/em> <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is open to normalizing relations with Israel, a Republican congressman who recently visited Syria told The Jerusalem Post.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<strong>Sharaa said that he was open to the Abraham Accords,<\/strong> which would put them in good standing with Israel, other Middle Eastern countries, and, of course, the United States,\u201d Republican Indiana Rep. Marlin Stutzman told the Post in an exclusive interview.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>( The Abraham Accords are bilateral agreements on Arab\u2013Israeli normalization signed between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and Bahrain on September 15, 2020. Mediated by the United States, the announcement of August 13, 2020, concerned Israel and the Emirates before the subsequent announcement of an agreement between Israel and Bahrain on September 11, 2020. On September 15, 2020, the signing of the agreements was hosted by US president Donald Trump on the Truman Balcony of the White House amid elaborate staging intended to evoke the signings of historic formal peace treaties in prior administrations.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>As part of the two agreements, both the Emirates and Bahrain recognized Israel&#8217;s sovereignty, enabling the establishment of full diplomatic relations. Israel&#8217;s initial agreement with the Emirates marked the first instance of Israel establishing diplomatic relations with an Arab country since 1994, when the Israel\u2013Jordan peace treaty came into effect. The agreements were named &#8220;Abraham Accords&#8221; to highlight the common belief of Judaism and Islam in the prophet Abraham. )<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"zSO3mnMkzV\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/israel-country-code-open\/\">Pakistan Opens Israel  Country Calling Code +972<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Pakistan Opens Israel  Country Calling Code +972&#8221; &#8212; Pakistan In the World\" src=\"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/israel-country-code-open\/embed\/#?secret=3orXfBi5y9#?secret=zSO3mnMkzV\" data-secret=\"zSO3mnMkzV\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Stutzman, along with Republican Florida Rep. Cory Mills, met with the president in Damascus on Saturday.\u201cHe said there obviously has to be negotiations, and steps must be taken.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syria must remain unified, Sharaa tells US Congressman Stutzman<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Stutzman outlined the Syrian president\u2019s conditions for normalization with Israel \u2013 chief among them that Syria must remain a unified and sovereign state.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSharaa\u2019s concerns are that the country of Syria would be divided up into regions. He didn\u2019t want to see that happen,\u201d he said. \u201cHe wanted to see the country of Syria stay unified. He also mentioned that Israel\u2019s encroachment near the Golan Heights must be addressed, and there should be no further bombings in Syria by Israel. I truly believe he is open to dialogue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Stutzman and Mills were the first US lawmakers to visit Syria since the Assad regime was toppled a few months ago.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere were signs in Damascus saying, \u2018Make Syria Great Again.\u2019 The Syrian people definitely admire President [Donald] Trump,\u201d Stutzman told the Post. \u201cI genuinely sensed a desire to engage in dialogue and potentially build a relationship with the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"tmatSvHWri\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/quds-day-in-islamabad-ambassador-iran-calls-on-muslim-world-to-raise-voice-against-israeli-us-crimes-raja-zafar-ul-haqq-rejects-two-state-formula-supported-by-pakistan-saudia\/\">QUDS Day in Islamabad &#8211; Ambassador Iran Calls on Muslim World to Raise Voice Against Israeli + US Crimes &#8211; Raja Zafar ul Haqq Rejects Two State Formula Supported by Pakistan Saudia<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;QUDS Day in Islamabad &#8211; Ambassador Iran Calls on Muslim World to Raise Voice Against Israeli + US Crimes &#8211; Raja Zafar ul Haqq Rejects Two State Formula Supported by Pakistan Saudia&#8221; &#8212; Pakistan In the World\" src=\"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/quds-day-in-islamabad-ambassador-iran-calls-on-muslim-world-to-raise-voice-against-israeli-us-crimes-raja-zafar-ul-haqq-rejects-two-state-formula-supported-by-pakistan-saudia\/embed\/#?secret=ckah17SxoF#?secret=tmatSvHWri\" data-secret=\"tmatSvHWri\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Rebuilding Syria will require a stable government, Stutzman tells Post<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>During their visit, the congressmen met with the Christian community and senior government officials and toured sites where president Bashar al-Assad had previously bombed his own people. They also visited prisons where dissidents were detained, tortured, and executed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Syrian people are better off today than they were six months ago under Assad. I do think it\u2019s possible to rebuild Syria, but it requires a stable government. First and foremost, the government must not work against its own citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The most intriguing meeting, according to the congressmen, was with Sharaa himself. Stutzman said the president told them that he wants to transform Syria into something entirely different from what it has been over the past decades.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was excited to talk about trade, commerce, tourism, and developing trade routes from the south to the north and into Europe, which could reduce transport times significantly,\u201d he told the Post.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Stutzman acknowledged Sharaa\u2019s past as a former al-Qaeda member, but said his first impression was that the president has undergone a transformation.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe had a very good conversation,\u201d said Stutzman. \u201cHe\u2019s very young \u2013 early 40s. He was calm and thoughtful. You could tell he\u2019s been working hard with everything happening since he took control of Syria.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"DOHs6E6qa6\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/hamas-are-sons-of-dogs-says-none-other-than-president-palestine-mahmoud-abbas-they-provided-excuses-to-israel-for-attacks-on-gaza\/\">Hamas are &#8221; SONS OF DOGS&#8221; &#8211; Says none other than President Palestine , Mahmoud Abbas ! &#8220;They provided Excuses to Israel for attacks on Gaza&#8221;<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Hamas are &#8221; SONS OF DOGS&#8221; &#8211; Says none other than President Palestine , Mahmoud Abbas ! &#8220;They provided Excuses to Israel for attacks on Gaza&#8221;&#8221; &#8212; Pakistan In the World\" src=\"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/hamas-are-sons-of-dogs-says-none-other-than-president-palestine-mahmoud-abbas-they-provided-excuses-to-israel-for-attacks-on-gaza\/embed\/#?secret=GXXtAJuqdv#?secret=DOHs6E6qa6\" data-secret=\"DOHs6E6qa6\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Tackling US sanctions will mean meeting conditions on human rights, Israel<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>To realize his ambitions for Syria, the president understands he must convince the Trump administration to lift sanctions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s not asking the US for money, just for sanctions to be removed \u2013 and I think it\u2019s something that should be considered,\u201d Stutzman said.<\/p>\n<p>He clarified that the US administration has conditions for lifting sanctions, including better relations with Israel.\u201cThe steps that need to be taken include ensuring respect for human rights, women\u2019s rights, religious freedom, and treating all Syrians with dignity \u2013 no one should be treated as a minority or less than human.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd, of course, maintaining a respectful and secure relationship with Israel, and that Syria doesn\u2019t become a training ground for terrorism, doesn\u2019t become a proxy for Iran or for China or Russia, and that they work as a country within the region.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"Jqxb0Rzfyp\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/pakistan-in-the-world-october-2024\/\">Pakistan in the World \u2013 October 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Pakistan in the World \u2013 October 2024&#8221; &#8212; Pakistan In the World\" src=\"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/pakistan-in-the-world-october-2024\/embed\/#?secret=o62H3K497X#?secret=Jqxb0Rzfyp\" data-secret=\"Jqxb0Rzfyp\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Stutzman calls on officials to take a chance on Sharaa<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Top Israeli officials have remained skeptical of the president\u2019s new tone. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa\u2019ar said a few weeks ago that Sharaa and his government \u201cwere jihadists and remain jihadists \u2013 even if they\u2019re now wearing suits.\u201dStutzman, through the Post, sent a message to his counterparts in Israel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s clear this regime is preferable to Assad\u2019s. Talk to him \u2013 what do you have to lose? Could he deceive us? Yes \u2013 and shame on him if he does. But that doesn\u2019t mean we shouldn\u2019t talk to him. If he follows through on the steps we all consider important, then we can talk about the next stage. Not engaging with him could drive him back toward Russia and Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, Stutzman said he believes Trump will decide what happens with US policy on Syria and set the terms for Syria\u2019s return to the international community.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Sharaa, he said, wants to open a new chapter \u2013 but must be careful not to deceive.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>\u201cIf President al-Sharaa does what he says he wants to do, Syria could become prosperous \u2013 a place people compare to Istanbul. A country thriving on the global stage. This is an incredible opportunity for him \u2013 if he gets it right. If he gets it wrong, there will be consequences.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"iLo3vGkZUt\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/pakistan-in-the-world-march-2025\/\">Pakistan in the World \u2013 March 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Pakistan in the World \u2013 March 2025&#8221; &#8212; Pakistan In the World\" src=\"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/pakistan-in-the-world-march-2025\/embed\/#?secret=uytgzGmayR#?secret=iLo3vGkZUt\" data-secret=\"iLo3vGkZUt\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Syria wants peace with Israel under one condition, US congressman tells &#8216;Post&#8217; &#8211; exclusive In an exclusive interview with the &#8216;Post&#8217;, congressman Stutzman said Syria&#8217;s president said he was open to normalizing ties with Israel. By Amichai Stein for Jerusalem Post &#8211; 24 April 2025 Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is open to normalizing relations with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45580,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[3198,5128,7043,5012,7044,1184,3127,7041,7042],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45579"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45579"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45579\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45586,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45579\/revisions\/45586"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}