Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa was not the only one to celebrate US President Donald Trump's decision on Tuesday to lift sanctions on Syria.
"I think this is an opportunity that President Sharaa needs to seize and truly use to rebuild Syria into a free and prosperous nation," US Congressman Marlin Stutzman (IN-3), who visited Damascus last month, told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.
"If we can relieve some of that pressure and start the rebuilding process, I think that would be a positive step."
Sharaa 'really wants' to change Syria, US congressman says
In April, Stutzman became the first member of Congress to visit Damascus since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December. In the interview, Stutzman told the Post he felt the Syrian president "really wants to change the country."
"We asked him about the elections, and why [they would] wait five years", Stutzman said. "His answer was that so many Syrians are scattered around the world, and it will take time for them to return, rebuild, and establish a system that can support free elections."
The congressman also revealed to the Post that Sharaa told him and the Trump administration that he was working to reduce the influence of terrorist organizations in Syria, as well as limiting Iran’s presence. "One of the things President Sharaa told me is that he is already helping Israel and the West by pushing Hezbollah out of Lebanon and limiting Iran’s influence.
"He said that while he might allow Iran to maintain an embassy in Syria, he would definitely restrict the number of visas granted to Iranians entering the country," Stutzman added.
Stutzman further detailed the Syrian president's position on the Golan Heights, in regard to any normalization deal carried out with Israel. "He said that Israel had a plan to divide the country," Stutzman cited Sharaa as saying, adding that "I don’t know if that’s true, but for him, that was the deal breaker.
However, "he also mentioned the Golan Heights, and it seems he is open to some kind of a deal regarding the area," the congressman added.
Stutzman clarified that, despite Trump’s seemingly supportive tone, Sharaa should not celebrate too soon. "If there is any kind of failure to fulfill these promises made by the Sharaa administration or government, these sanctions could be reinstated – and he needs to understand that."
Israel lobbies Trump administration against lifting Syrian sanctions
Behind the scenes, Israel lobbied for the US not to lift sanctions on Syria. Trump, however, did not seem particularly moved by the Israeli efforts.
"We told the Israelis we are going to remove the sanctions… Turkish President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan thinks we should do it, it gives them a much better chance of survival", Trump told reporters earlier this week.
In response, Stutzman told the Post that "I think Israel has every right to be skeptical. After all, the Israeli people are the ones who live with the daily threat of rockets potentially slipping past the Iron Dome and landing in Israel."
Stutzman added that he believes that, "if we want peace in the Middle East – if we want to see progress through commerce instead of chaos – this is a significant step," referring to the lifting of sanctions on Damascus.
The congressman conveyed that the lifting of sanctions on Syria is ultimately an experiment. According to Stutzman, the interests of the US and Israel align in integrating Sharaa into the international community and working toward peace between Israel and Syria.
"There are going to be people who do not want Syria to succeed here. I hope President Sharaa aligns himself with us in the West, and with Israel, who want to see peace and prosperity."
