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National sovereignty is the dividing red line
As soon as Trump announced the United States' recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, Israel followed suit by raising its flag over the city of Quneitra as a declaration of its control over the Syrian city, which was not originally contested, but is instead a new occupation.
In both cases, there was no clear condemnation from the transitional leadership in Syria, as if the matter does not concern the Syrians in any way, neither closely nor remotely.
The fact that President of the transitional government, Ahmad al-Shar'a, or Abu Muhammad al-Golani, did not issue a presidential statement with a clear condemnation and strong rejection of the American decision, nor condemn the Israeli steps in Quneitra, nor follow up with a complaint to the United Nations and call for the Arab League Council to convene and support Syria, is significant.
As for the silence of the Syrian presidency, it cannot be justified by any of these three points:
1. That Trump's announcement of recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan and the occupation of Quneitra came as a result of understandings between President Trump and the transitional leader Ahmad al-Shar'a, as a price to keep him in power, similar to how the occupation of the Golan was a price for keeping the late Hafez al-Assad in power.
2. The lack of a strong response from the transitional leadership was due to fear of provoking the anger of those who enabled Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham to seize control of Damascus and thus reach the presidency in Syria.
3. The silence was because the new regime is ignorant of the simplest matters of national sovereignty or considers national sovereignty trivial.
The truth is:
No matter how weak the attacked may be, they should not remain silent about their rights. If he presents himself as the leader of millions, he must be brave and responsible, and be a leader for all Syrians.
And we remember the great diplomatic poet Omar Abu Risha, who immortalized the value of resistance forever in the following verse:
"The wolf slaps the lion's forehead with a blow... when the fangs and claws disappear."
However, this value does not apply to hunting dogs.
Ali Al-Amin Al-Suwaidi
