Israel the main obstacle to stability in Syria, envoy warns as Security Council reviews transition
NEW YORK CITY: The main obstacle to stability in Syria is Israel, the country’s envoy to the UN told the Security Council, as he also accused the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of undermining a US-brokered deal to end the war with Iran.
It came as senior UN officials described the political transition in Syria as caught between fragile progress and persistent risk.
Syria’s permanent representative to the UN, Ibrahim Olabi welcomed the recent memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran, which aims to deescalate tensions in the region. But he noted that on the same day the agreement was announced, Netanyahu declared that Israeli forces would not withdraw from territory they had seized in Syria.
“This statement confirms that Israel is the main obstacle to stability in Syria,” Olabi said. He accused Israel of violating international law and Security Council resolutions at the same time Syria “is choosing wisdom and diplomacy.”
