ALBAWABA - Axios reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu persuaded U.S. President Donald Trump to keep sanctions on Syria in place. The plea was made at a recent White House meeting as Israeli concerns about Syria and Turkey's role in regional changes grew.
Axios disclosed that Trump met with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa in Riyadh earlier this week without informing the Israeli government beforehand, despite Netanyahu's protests. Since Trump subsequently declared the official removal of U.S. sanctions on Syria, the meeting represented a momentous diplomatic change.
Netanyahu was not notified in advance of the Trump-Al-Sharaa meeting, according to Israeli sources cited in the story. As Trump's changing Middle East strategy deviates from conventional Israeli expectations, the absence of previous notification exacerbated already existing tensions between Washington and Tel Aviv.
According to earlier Israel Hayom reports, Netanyahu is getting ready for a political altercation with Trump over recent events. According to reports, the prime minister assembled a special team to handle media strategy and public messaging in the face of expected conflicts with the White House, rather than concentrating on diplomacy or security.
According to the newspaper, Netanyahu's team wants to exert pressure on the US president by mobilizing support among Trump's core Republican base, especially Christian conservatives who have traditionally supported Israel.
Trump recently traveled to Saudi Arabia, where he met with Al-Sharaa. In an attempt to "give the Syrian people a chance to grow and develop," Trump said after the discussions that sanctions on Syria will be eased. He said that the decision was made after discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
On Thursday, the U.S. Treasury Department affirmed that it is working with the National Security Council and State Department to carry out the instruction.
Asset freezes, financial transaction limitations, and prohibitions on certain technology and equipment were among the U.S. sanctions that were first implemented in response to human rights violations committed by former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. A major policy turnaround, the lifting of these sanctions portends a possible new era in U.S.-Syria relations under Al-Sharaa's direction.
