US Rep. Stutzman optimistic about Syrian-Israeli peace after meeting Syrian leader al-Sharaa

United States Representative Marlin Stutzman is optimistic about the prospects for Syrian-Israeli peace following a recent meeting with Syria’s transitional president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Damascus, according to a recent interview in Israeli media.

"Growing up hearing stories of Damascus, Damascus Road conversion and the history of Damascus in Syria, it's one of those places you'd always like to visit, along with Israel and other parts of the Middle East," Stutzman said in an interview with the Ynet News. "We always talk about peace in the Middle East, and this is one of those moments where there's potential and a possibility now that Assad's gone."

The Assad regime in Syria collapsed in early December 2024 after Bashar al-Assad had ruled the nation with an iron fist for half a century.

He explained that Syrian friends in the United States eventually convinced him to visit the war-torn Middle Eastern state.

"I've got some really good Syrian friends that live in Chicago and Indiana, and we've been friends for over a decade now," Stutzman explained. "They had come to me several times asking me to support lifting the sanctions on Syria now that Assad is gone. I just told him it's hard for me to do that, not knowing all of the circumstances and what's on the ground."

Stutzman recalled his visit to Damascus alongside fellow Republican Congressman Cory Mills and the Syrian American Alliance for Peace and Prosperity.

"We had good security. I did not feel like there was any danger," he said. "The Syrian people are still resilient. They would look you in the eye, they would return a smile. They are hopeful and optimistic that this is a new day in Syria."

Stutzman articulated optimism about potential peace between Syria and Israel following a meeting with the new Syrian leader, al-Sharaa.

"I brought up the issue, and there was no anger, there was no bad emotion directed toward Israel," he recalled. "I told him the relationship with Israel for the American people is very important, and asked him what he envisioned the relationship between Syria and Israel, and he was very honest."

"He said that he was open to the conversations around the Abraham Accords," Stutzman added, referring to the historic U.S.-brokered normalization deal signed between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan in 2020.

Despite his optimism, the U.S. lawmaker admitted he had been affected by the widespread destruction that he witnessed in Syria.

"The thing that amazed me was the destruction everywhere," Stutzman said. He also admitted that Syrian society is far from Western culture.

The Israeli government has expressed skepticism toward the new Syrian regime and its leader, al-Sharaa, who has a history connected to an Al Qaida-affiliated terrorist organization.

Stutzman addressed Israeli skepticism towards the new Syrian leadership.

"Israeli officials are not really buying this. They say, 'a terrorist is a terrorist, doesn't matter if he puts on a suit,'" he said.

"It's possible, and shame on him if he is. There's an opportunity here, and I would hope that al-Sharaa has changed. At one time, Japan and Germany were enemies of the United States. We know the devil that we had in Assad, and if al-Sharaa is a smart enough guy, he would learn the lessons that the same consequences could befall him. That's why I think it's important to have a dialogue with him, because we don't want to just push him back into the arms of Iran, China or Russia," Stutzman emphasized.

"I know how hard it is to trust a former enemy," he admitted. "But if there’s even the slightest chance to change reality, it’s worth trying – not with blind eyes, but also not with a closed heart.”