By Lior Ben Ari

Copyright ynetnews

Less than a day before his historic address to the UN General Assembly, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa participated in a conference hosted by the Middle East Institute on the assembly’s sidelines, warning that without a security agreement with Israel, regional instability will persist. Addressing over 250 diplomats, journalists and business leaders, al-Sharaa said, “We’re not the ones causing problems for Israel. We fear Israel. We’re worried, not the other way around.” He accused Israel of stalling negotiations, violating Syrian airspace and encroaching on its territory, expressing opposition to Syria’s division and noting, “Jordan is under pressure, and any talk of splitting Syria will harm Iraq and Turkey.” Al-Sharaa argued that a successful Israel-Syria deal “will pave the way for other agreements to spread peace in the region,” urging Israel to revert to the pre-December 8, 2024, status—when the Assad regime fell. “We’ve said we won’t threaten anyone. Since Damascus’s liberation, a million people have returned, and Captagon exports have dropped 90%. No one benefits from Syria reverting to its old state. We want to maintain equal distance from all,” he added. He framed his New York visit as “a sign of Syria’s return to the international community,” warning that dividing Syria would destabilize neighbors and advocating reconciliation over past errors in As-Suwayda. “Washington can help integrate Kurds into Syrian forces. Neighboring security depends on Syria’s stability. Force alone won’t bring peace to Israel.” Shortly before al-Sharaa’s remarks, U.S. envoy to Syria and Lebanon Thomas Burk said that Syria and Israel are close to signing an agreement. Al-Sharaa’s upcoming speech will mark the first by a Syrian president at the UN General Assembly since 1967. On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met al-Sharaa in New York, discussing “the importance of Israel-Syria relations for broader regional security,” according to the State Department. Their talks covered U.S. priorities in Syria, ongoing counterterrorism efforts, and locating missing Americans. Rubio highlighted, “This is an opportunity for Syria to build a stable, sovereign state following President Trump’s historic early-year sanctions relief for the Syrian people.” At a Concordia University event in New York hours earlier, al-Sharaa noted, “There’s a big difference between Syria and Abraham Accords countries. As a neighbor, we’ve endured over 1,000 Israeli raids, strikes and incursions from the Golan Heights, killing many. “There’s also immense anger over Gaza, which shapes our stance toward Israel. We’ve reached advanced stages in talks. Israel must withdraw from Syrian territory. Security concerns can be addressed through negotiation.”