At a time when political sources in Tel Aviv revealed “warm messages” from the new Syrian government that were officially sent by the American administration, and the new governor of Damascus made public statements about the desire for peace, the Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar, made hostile statements. He rejected these messages and considered them part of attempts to market the new regime in the West.

Saar said, during press interviews, on Friday: “The new regime in Syria is nothing but a terrorist gang that we know from its performance in Idlib, and what is new is that it has taken control of Damascus. It is true that the West admires the way power was handed over there peacefully, but we must remember that it is not a democratically elected system of government. The Western world is excited about it; Because he wants to help stabilize and return millions of Syrian refugees. But the situation in Syria is not reassuring, and there is no real stability. There are combat battles in the coastal towns, and there are clear threats from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to liquidate the autonomy of the Kurds, and there is abuse against Christians, as this is an Islamic regime that seeks to control all of Syria.

Other political parties in Israel made more moderate statements, but they carried the same content in questioning the sincerity of the new regime in Damascus. These parties said, according to the Ynet website, that the regime’s leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is making important statements, but it is not clear whether he really wants a unified Syrian state under leadership from all sects. He must prove the sincerity of his intentions with actions, not just words.

Other political sources had confirmed that Israel had received messages from Al-Sharaa, which they described as “peaceful and warm,” clarifying that he and his companions were not interested in any conflict with Israel. These messages came via Washington, but they confirmed that “the American administration is a partner in the doubts, and did not advise either Israel or Syria to initiate contacts of understanding regarding peaceful relations at the present time.”

She added, “Washington is establishing relations with New Damascus, and is providing support to it in developing its peaceful policy toward the interior and exterior, and is also waiting to see a practical implementation of the declared policy, which is currently characterized by moderation.

For his part, the leader of the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham organization, Ahmed al-Shara, had hinted himself, about two weeks ago, that the new government in Syria was not interested in entering into a conflict with Israel in the near future. Al-Julani stressed that “the situation in Syria, exhausted by years of fighting, does not allow entering into new conflicts,” pointing out that “construction and stability are the top priorities, and not being drawn into new conflicts that lead to more destruction.”

The Israelis were surprised by the statements made by the new governor of Damascus, Maher Marwan, who was appointed by Al-Sharaa, on Friday, in an interview with American Public Radio (NPR), saying: “We want peace, and we do not want to be enemies of Israel, or any “Someone else.”

In the interview, Marwan expressed understanding of Israeli doubts towards the new government in Syria, and said: “It is possible that Israel felt fear, and that is why it advanced a little (in the buffer zone) and bombed a little. It's a natural fear. We are not afraid of Israel, and we have no problem. We have no desire to interfere in a matter that would threaten Israel's security. There are people here who want to live in coexistence and who want peace.”