Stephen R. Shalom: As you know, our plan was to talk about some of the broad dynamics at play in the Middle East region, rather than on any of the day-to-day developments. But then we’ve just experienced quite an extraordinary week in Syria.
Gilbert Achcar: You could even say quite an extraordinary weekend.
SRS: Indeed. So, we have to talk first about what’s happening in Syria, before turning to our discussion of more foundational matters.
GA: That’s fine.
SRS: Let me begin by asking about the role of Israel and the United States in Syria. In the days since the collapse of the Assad regime, we’ve seen Israeli troops cross the border from the occupied Golan and seize further Syrian territory. This has led some analysts to say that this shows that Israel—and its main backer, the United States—were the main driving forces in what’s happened in Syria in recent weeks.
GA: That’s a very skewed interpretation of things, since if it shows anything, it is that Israel is very cautious about what is happening.
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