American of Syrian-Jewish descent seeks seat in Damascus Parliament

Henry Hamra, a US-based American of Syrian-Jewish descent, has announced his candidacy for the upcoming parliamentary elections in Syria, representing the Damascus constituency.

The son of American Rabbi Yusuf Hamra, Henry pledged in his campaign statement to work with the Syrian community in the United States to push for the repeal of the “Caesar Act,” the US legislation imposing unconditional economic sanctions on Syria, Caliber.Az reports per Israeli media.

نحو #سوريا مزدهرة ومتسامحة وعادلة
هنري حمرة من #دمشق
مرشح #مجلس_الشعب pic.twitter.com/LQVI4YIpzm

— الحملة الانتخابية لهنري حمره مرشح مجلس الشعب (@henryhamrasy) October 2, 2025

Hamra fled Damascus with his father in 1992 at the age of 15. Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, his family has made several visits back to Syria.

At its height, Syria’s Jewish community numbered around 100,000, but today it is on the brink of extinction.

Parliamentary elections in Syria are scheduled for 5 October. Syrian media have described Hamra’s candidacy as an unprecedented development.

By Aghakazim Guliyev