Peloni: And again, Avi hits the perfect tone. Jihadi’s have no role in peace, and we should not stabilize the tyranny which they hold over their minorities, which is the same tyranny which they hope to one day hold over the entire Western World after destroying Israel.
Every time Israel has traded land for peace with enemies still committed to our destruction, we have paid in blood.
By AVI ABELOW | JULY 6, 2025
Al-Shaara and Pres. Erdogan. (Photo by Presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic – Presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic, Public Domain, Wikipedia)
Now that the direct war with Iran is on pause, headlines are flooding the Israeli and international media with news that should sound like a dream: Israel and Syria in direct talks, a potential peace deal on the horizon, normalization, even rumors that Syria could join the Abraham Accords.
But let’s be honest with ourselves: this isn’t a dream. It’s a nightmare dressed up in diplomatic clothing.
I understand the desire for peace. Every normal human being desires peace. Israelis have been at war with Syria, officially and unofficially, for decades, but peace with a Sunni ISIS regime built on jihad, death, and terror against its own minorities? That is not peace. That is suicide.
While we celebrate the fact that the Iranian-backed Assad regime is gone, we can not delude ourselves into thinking that peace is possible with a Turkey-backed Islamic State regime, no matter how much even US President Donald Trump wants to have Syria join the Abraham Accords.
It is important that we all be reminded who the new leader of Syria is. Ahmed al-Sharaa, the man now being laundered as a pragmatic leader, is the same man who had a bounty placed on his head by the US government for years as a terrorist. Under his rule today in Syria, Christians, Kurds, and Druze are persecuted, oppressed, and killed.
We also cannot afford to forget that the moment he toppled the Assad regime, he declared proudly that their next destination for conquering would be Jerusalem.
This is not a man seeking peace. This is a jihadist Sunni leader following Muhammad’s military strategy of hudnas, seeking a strategic pause. In the Middle East, a strategic pause is a time to reload.
Israeli peace talks with Syria’s new regime
Israel can not entertain peace talks with this new Syrian regime, now or ever. It is a brutal, illegitimate, and temporary regime. Any agreement made with jihadists will only last until they see that we let our guard down; a better opportunity to strike.
What should Israel do instead? We should project deterrence like never before.
We should liberate as much of southern Syria as possible – yes, up to Damascus. Not for land. Not for empire. But to establish a defensive and moral buffer zone that protects our homeland and the innocent lives of persecuted minorities on the other side.
The Druze of southern Syria have cried out for help. The Christian villages have been ravaged. The Kurds have been abandoned to protect themselves on their own. And yet, Israel, miraculously strong, morally grounded, and militarily capable, stands just kilometers away.
Now is not the time for delusions of peace with a jihadi regime.
Now is the time for moral clarity, strategic strength and real deterrence.
Every time Israel has traded land for peace with enemies still committed to our destruction, we have paid in blood. Gaza is proof. Lebanon is proof. The Oslo Accords are proof.
Liberating southern Syria from a genocidal regime is not a war of choice. It is an act of responsibility, for Israel, for the region, for the minorities in Syria, and for the world. We are the frontline against jihad. And if we don’t draw the line at Damascus, one day we’ll be forced to draw it again in Jerusalem.
This is peace through strength. It’s the only language understood by jihadist regimes like Syria, Turkey, and Qatar, and by global powers like Russia and China. It’s also the only message that resonates with Trump. Strength, resolve, and moral clarity – that’s how you earn respect and secure peace.
This is not a time to appease, nor to secure temporary deals that lure us into a false sense of security while our enemy continues plotting to destroy us. This is an opportunity for true deterrence, that we cannot afford to waste.
Just because we won the latest direct battle against Iran in a knockout is not a reason to return to bad deals with bad actors. We must prioritize our presence in liberated lands. That is the only language of deterrence understood by our regional neighbors.
May our leaders have the strength and clarity to rise to the moment, and not fall for the pressure.
Avi Abelow is the host of the Pulse of Israel daily video/podcast and the CEO of 12Tribe Films Foundation. He is hosting the 3rd annual Pulse of Israel Conference in Jerusalem on July 29.
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