Syria turns to Rabat to ease tensions with Israel

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani met on Thursday in Rabat with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita. Beyond discussions on strengthening bilateral ties, Syria’s top diplomat also asked the kingdom to intervene with Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, Yabiladi has learned from a source close to the matter.

Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani notably complained about «the continued Israeli violations of Syria’s territorial sovereignty». He described these actions as factors of «destabilization» for his country. Last March, the Israeli army carried out airstrikes targeting military infrastructure in southern Syria.

Last January, Paris hosted negotiations between the Syrian and Israeli governments at the initiative of the administration of US President Donald Trump. The process, however, did not lead to a normalization of relations between the two countries, contrary to Israel’s expectations.

Given its ties with Israel, Morocco could help ease tensions between Damascus and Tel Aviv. The positive outcomes of the discreet mediation efforts led by King Mohammed VI between the Palestinian Authority and Israel illustrate the kingdom’s capacity for dialogue.