Israel has attacked Syria, occupied its south since the al-Assad regime’s ouster, testing Syria’s diplomatic outreach. But analysts say Damascus has few other options for now.
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Ever since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government, Syria has chosen diplomatic engagement with Israel over military confrontation.
As Syria’s new government attempts to rebuild the country after more than a decade of war, the country’s officials have committed themselves to a policy of avoiding conflicts with their neighbours.
Yet Israel continues to disrupt any efforts at a more sustained peace agreement, including through repeated attacks on Syrian soil. But analysts told Al Jazeera that despite these provocations, Damascus sees the diplomatic track as its only choice.
“Syria’s government is intensely pragmatic in that it’s willing to basically sit down and talk to and do deals with people as long as it promotes Syria’s national interest,” Rob Geist Pinfold, a lecturer on security studies at King’s College London, told Al Jazeera.