After the collapse of Bashar Assad’s authoritarian regime in Syria, Democratic Majority for Israel President and CEO Mark Mellman made the following statement:
“After the collapse of Bashar Assad’s brutal regime in Syria, we are hopeful that this moment can usher in freedom for the Syrian people who have been tyrannized and terrorized by Assad and his father for over 50 years. Backed by Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia, Assad killed some 600,000 of his own people — some by chemical weapons attacks — and displaced 13 million Syrians, nearly 7 million of whom were forced to flee their country. Sadly, the international community did little to stop the butchery.
“When Iran and its proxies attacked Israel, they thought it would redound to their benefit, but as President Biden rightly noted, Israel’s successes in degrading the militaries of Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran on the battlefield played a central role in weakening Assad and contributing to his downfall.
“While the history of Syria’s new rulers gives us cause for concern, we hope this dramatic development not only creates a much better Syria for its people, but also brings about a new regional alignment, fostering peace, greater integration, cooperation, and opportunity.
“We note that at this time of uncertainty, Israel’s military has temporarily taken up positions in the buffer zone between the two countries to protect its security, a move backed by the Biden-Harris Administration.”
###