Strange bedfellows indeed

Kurdish leaders seek Israeli help as US support wavers

Kurdish authorities are particularly concerned that a US withdrawal would enable Turkey and its allied forces to seize additional territory in northern Syria, potentially displacing them from their current positions of control.

Israel and the Kurdish flags (Photo: Shutterstock / Pavlo Lys)

Kurdish officials are reaching out to Israel for diplomatic assistance amid growing concerns about a potential US withdrawal from Syria under a future Trump administration. The move comes as Turkey intensifies its threats against Kurdish-controlled territories in northeastern Syria.

"Securing Israeli diplomatic support in international forums and help in convincing Trump's team to maintain the international coalition in Syria would be a historic milestone in Kurdish-Israeli relations," a senior Kurdish official told Kan News in an exclusive interview.

The Kurdish leadership's anxiety stems from their experience in 2018, when President Trump announced a sudden withdrawal of US forces from Syria - a decision later reversed partly due to Israeli diplomatic pressure. With Trump potentially returning to the White House, Kurdish leaders fear a repeat scenario that could leave their forces vulnerable to Turkish military action.

The situation has become increasingly complex following the fall of the Assad regime. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose influence has grown in the region, is demanding Kurdish forces disarm or face military consequences. Meanwhile, the new Damascus government under Ahmad al-Shara, backed by Ankara, is pushing for Kurdish integration into its new Syrian framework.

Recent weeks have seen the emergence of diplomatic channels between Israel and Kurdish leadership in the autonomous region of northern Syria. While Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has publicly voiced support for the Kurdish cause, Kurdish officials emphasize the need for concrete action beyond verbal backing.


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