Syrian FM says no hostile intent toward Israel

Syria has no hostile intentions toward Israel and is focused on national reconstruction after more than a decade of war, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on July 31 during a press conference in Moscow.

“Syria’s new government has said since day one that we have no hostile intentions towards Israel. We pose no threat to Israel. Syria just wants to rebuild itself. We are tired of the war over the past 14 years,” al-Shaibani stated, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

Speaking alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the Syrian diplomat emphasised that Damascus seeks to normalise its foreign relations based on mutual respect, while rejecting external interference in the country’s internal affairs.

“We seek to use our foreign relations for the benefit of the Syrian people. We want to build our foreign ties based on mutual respect. We call on Israel to stop interfering in our internal affairs and exploiting the minorities issue. We reject the presence of any weapons outside the framework of the state. We have no aggressive intentions toward Israel,” he said.

Furthermore, Al-Shaibani accused Israel of manipulating Syria’s Druze population to destabilise the country, particularly in the southern province of Suwayda, where tensions have flared in the recent month.

“Israel is exploiting the 'minorities card' to justify interference in Syria’s internal affairs,” he said, warning that such actions risk stoking new unrest. “Israel systematically targets populated areas in the Suwayda province to incite civil unrest, potentially even reigniting civil war. It is critical that no party – especially Israel – exploits the 'minorities card' to justify interference in Syria’s internal affairs."

He reiterated that the Syrian state remains committed to the protection and inclusion of all its citizens, dismissing any narrative suggesting otherwise.

“The Syrian government is responsible for all its people, not select minorities. We will not allow this narrative to be weaponized again,” he added.

By Sabina Mammadli