[Salon] This Maariv article reveals Israel is looking to pressure Syria’s Ahmad Al Sharaa to cooperate with the Israelis

[Chas Freeman <cwfresidence@gmail.com>]

https://x.com/academic_la/status/2040716284774478328

Israel plans to carve up Lebanon in cooperation with the Syrian government, according to Israeli newspaper Maariv:

1) The core Israeli and American assessment is that Lebanon has completely failed to deal with Hezbollah. The Lebanese Army is seen as afraid of Hezbollah, avoids direct confrontation, and in some cases is infiltrated by Hezbollah-affiliated elements.

2) Israeli assessments identify only two actors in the region that are both willing and capable of fighting Hezbollah: Israel and Syria's new regime under Ahmed al-Sharaa.

3) Israel does not trust Syria either but sees it as genuinely opposed to Hezbollah. Therefore, this would be a strategic alliance of goals, not a real partnership.

4) Israel is considering having the IDF take control of southern Lebanon while Syria operates in northern Lebanon against Hezbollah, effectively dividing security responsibility over Lebanon between Israel and Syria.

5) Israeli sources stress this is not a plan Israel is actively pursuing by choice, but rather a fallback that becomes more realistic as every other option fails.

6) Contacts between Israel and Syria, possibly with American mediation are already taking place or at least being explored at various levels. These are not described as formal open negotiations, but as back-channel dialogue across multiple tracks.

7) The Trump administration would strongly prefer not to reach this scenario, but has itself largely given up on Lebanon's government and army, feeling it was misled.

This would, if it happened, be a return to the status quo of before 2000, when Syria had a deciding say in Lebanese politics and Israel ruled the south. But with a twist. Back then, Syria and Hezbollah were partners in a "Resistance Axis" that aimed to push Israel out of Lebanon. Now Syria and Israel would be colonialist partners in crime weakening Lebanon for their own gain.

On Sunday, April 5, 2026 at 04:58:15 PM GMT+5, Mayraj Fahim <fmayraj@yahoo.com> wrote:

https://x.com/RaniaKhalek/status/2040741178342027318

This Maariv article reveals Israel is looking to pressure Syria’s Ahmad Al Sharaa to cooperate with the Israelis against Lebanon.

The idea is Israel would occupy south Lebanon, while Syria would occupy the north of Lebanon in an attempt to pacify Hezbollah.

Seems desperate, but anything is possible.

I think Sharaa is busy trying to keep his own country together, and this would potentially cause Syrians to turn on him.

It would also potentially unite Christians, Druze and Shias in certain parts of Lebanon against what is seen as Al Qaeda-adjacent Syrian forces.

Still, this would be a very dangerous outcome for Lebanon, which has gone through this sort of scenario before.