by Sean Mathews at Middle East Eye
The Trump administration has been working with Turkey and Gulf allies for an integrated Syria, but Israel prefers zones of influence
Israel and the US appear to be on divergent paths in Syria.
While the allies aren’t on a collision course yet, current and former Arab, US and Israeli officials say their differences could complicate the Trump administration’s grand diplomatic plans.
On Wednesday, Israel carried out powerful air strikes on Damascus, blowing up a part of the defence ministry and hitting near the presidential palace, as it framed its attacks as an effort to protect Syria’s Druze minority.
The strikes marked a significant Israeli escalation against the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa and came despite his warming ties with the US and his burgeoning security contacts with Israel.
“Israel and the US are definitely not on the same page,” Dareen Khalifa, a senior advisor at the International Crisis Group, told Middle East Eye…
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