A reminder to the SDF: Those who invest in Israel are destined to lose

The first anniversary celebrations of the Syrian revolution showed that the new regime has achieved a genuine and strong embrace with the people.The leadership profile displayed by the revolution’s leader, President Ahmed al-Sharaa, during the celebrations continues to produce scenes that further reinforce and nourish his leadership qualities and capacity with each passing day. His rhetoric, conduct, and overall politics point to the existence of a major reservoir of social capital for Syria. Strong, charismatic, and organic leadership is a great fortune for any country. Another distinguishing feature of Sharaa’s leadership is that despite emerging from such a major success, he never departs from humility.In none of his statements does he emphasize himself or his personal achievements. At one meeting, he fixates on the difference between the chair allocated to his foreign minister and his own, and refuses to proceed with the program until the chairs are made equal. Another striking scene is that neither during the revolution celebrations nor anywhere else does he allow his own photographs to be displayed. This humility—attributing the revolution to the people and to all his comrades-in-arms—is undoubtedly not something we see often. It is a trait that must be underlined.

In as short a period as one year, Syria under Sharaa’s leadership has covered significant ground. Peace, calm, and stability have been established in the areas under control. Of course, the rubble inherited after 14 years of destruction and 60 years of an iron-curtain-style rule does not allow for rapid recovery. But Sharaa and his team are determined both to clear this wreckage and to carry Syria to the place it deserves in the world. Through strong diplomatic initiatives, and with the support of Türkiye, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, they succeeded in lifting US and UN sanctions on Syria. This was a very important step on the path to recovery.

The biggest threat to overcoming the obstacles facing Syria is undoubtedly Israel. From the very first days of the revolution, it immediately displayed its hostile stance and continues to do so.Israel sees a united, people-backed, and strong Syria as a natural enemy. In fact, it is not entirely wrong. No government that relies on its own people can see Israel as a friend or even a normal neighbor. But this abnormality stems not from those governments, but clearly from Israel itself. Because it harbors imperial and expansionist ambitions, it perceives any force that could disrupt these ambitions as an enemy. It wants submissive administrations. That is what Assad was.It has no problem with other regional actors that continue in this vein. It sees Türkiye as a threat because it views Türkiye as a power capable of choking off its expansionist aspirations.

Even if Israel views Syria this way, for Syria to recover and for its people to attain the peace they have longed for for a century, the country must be whole. For the country’s resources to be distributed equally among all citizens, and for the state to be able to deliver services to the entire population, Syria must have a unitary structure, and all armed elements must be brought together under a single army.

Indeed, all other elements have been brought together. However, some of the Druze and the SDF, which controls the entire east of the Euphrates with US support and possesses heavy weaponry, are still unwilling to join this unification.In fact, early in the revolution, on March 10, they responded positively to this call and an agreement was reached that they would join this integration by the end of this year, that is, by December 30. But as the deadline approaches, a serious reluctance on the part of the SDF has become apparent.

No one believes that the issue has anything to do with the cultural or economic-political rights of the Kurds. In the areas that the SDF seeks to control and in fact does control today, the Arab population constitutes around 80 percent.Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and similar regions are entirely populated by Arabs. Moreover, within the SDF itself there are Arab tribes from these regions, particularly the Shammar and Aqeedat tribes. However, these tribes oppose the SDF’s resistance—at Israel’s behest—to integration with the central government. These tribes wield significant influence within the SDF, and if the SDF drags this matter out unnecessarily, they could truly put the SDF, exactly as Erdoğan put it, in a situation of “losing the bulgur at home while going after the rice.”

In essence, the new Syria under Sharaa’s leadership offers the Kurds an opportunity to attain the respect and status they deserve as equal citizens of the country. They are also making a major miscalculation by assuming that Sharaa would be weak in the face of Israel’s intentions and aggressive policies.It is true that Israel has invested specifically in the Kurds since its establishment in the region. But what everyone needs to know is that Israel has no future in this region.Israel is an occupying power doomed to lose in this region sooner or later, and its increasingly aggressive behavior is further preparing its own end.

As much as the Assad family was the primary cause of the suffering of a people who endured pain for 60 years, Israel was also responsible, having viewed Assad’s oppression as a guarantee of its own security. After the revolution, this reality has become even more evident.In this period, the Kurds also suffered greatly from this oppression. But the same Assad, in his war against his own people, attempted to use the Kurds—whom he had denied even identity for years—and ultimately handed them over to US (and therefore Israeli) control.

Indeed, the tide has turned and Assad, like all tyrants, has fled.Syria’s people are, for the first time in a century, in a position to establish the peaceful and just governance they deserve. The Kurds are aware of this. But the SDF has no right to bind the will of the Kurds and place it at Israel’s service, nor will this bring it any benefit at all. The direction of the world requires all the peoples of the region—Turks, Kurds, and Arabs—to stand together and establish a shared order.The SDF should not stand on the wrong side of history.