Syria seeks Islamist expansion into Lebanon, Golan to serve Turkish interests, expert tells 'Post'
The Mecca pact is being pushed now to fill the power vacuum that could be created should the Islamic regime fall, JCPA expert Yoni Ben-Menachem told The Post.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is aligning with Turkish interests by pursuing membership in the Mecca Pact, a Sunni Islamist alliance, contends Yoni Ben-Menachem, a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. This potential expansion could position the alliance to fill a power void should Iran's Islamic regime collapse, according to Ben-Menachem.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani confirmed on Saturday that discussions are underway to evaluate Syria's entry into the Mecca alliance, which currently comprises Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and potentially Egypt.
The alliance aims to capitalize on the anticipated fall of Iran, envisioning it as a Sunni-led entity to occupy the power vacuum left by Iran's regime collapse, Ben-Menachem theorizes. Qatar is also reportedly considering joining the Mecca Pact, according to Syrian media. Despite initial positive response from Iran, Iran remains supportive of the security alliance, viewed by experts as a shift away from Washington's influence in the Middle East and Gulf.
Following the fall of the Assad regime, Syrian citizens have been clamoring for jihad against Israel, particularly to reclaim the Golan Heights, a territory Israel seized during the 1967 Six-Day War. This expansionist ambition extends beyond Israel's security zone, contends Ben-Menachem, as Syria has long harbored aspirations to seize control of Lebanon.
Despite withdrawing its military presence from Lebanon after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri in 2005, Syria aspires to reestablish its military authority there, with Turkish support.
Now, Syria is focusing on reconstituting its armed forces with over 130 armed groups dispersed throughout the country. The Hay at Tahrir al-Sham faction is considered the "backbone" of this new venture, supported by Turkey. Israel warns that this new army, composed of jihadist militants, poses a threat and could potentially launch attacks against Israel in the future.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
