Syria is no longer a terrorist state.
President Trump announced his decision to remove Syria’s name from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism earlier this month. Secretary of State Mark Rubio called the move a “historic step” that “opens new possibilities for economic opportunity and recovery, giving the Syrian people a chance at greatness.”
What’s next? If Syria is to rejoin the community of nations, it will require a lot of hard work and painstaking diplomacy.
The Arab Spring triggered a civil war in Syria that would last until 2024. Today, those who fled are starting to move back, but much of the infrastructure isn’t ready. At the end of last year, the first Jewish heritage foundation in Syria was founded.
“Jewish Syrians are an integral part of the Syrian fabric,” said the Syrian Minister of Social Affairs, Hind Kabawat. “Our country is a mosaic of all sorts of civilizations, religions, sects, and nations.”
Last week, the Institute for Global Engagement put together an event on Syria’s future. James Chen, the organization’s senior vice president, called the new Jewish Heritage in Syria Foundation “a sign that this new Syria sees its historic Jewish community as an essential part of the society.”
Justice for past abuses in the war-torn nation is also on the agenda. President Ahmed al-Sharaa has been establishing commissions to address crimes committed under the previous regime. The stated goal is compensation for vast numbers of victims and the location of thousands of missing people under the Assad dictatorship that ruled the country – father and son – for more than 50 years.
The regime finally ended after a 10-day offensive from rebel forces who ended a civil war that lasted 13 years. Al-Sharaa, who serves as interim president, led the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham rebel group, which at one time had been aligned with al-Qaeda. However, since becoming president, al-Sharaa has promised inclusivity and religious tolerance. He has stopped using his wartime name Abu Mohammed al-Jolani and begun dressing in a more Western style. Most importantly, from the standpoint of the United States and the Western democracies, he has renounced al-Qaeda.
“For the first time, Syrians are seeing [that] the perpetrators of atrocities can be also held accountable and tried in their own countries,” Zaher Sahloul, President of MedGlobal, said at the event. His wife, Suzanne Akhras, founder and CEO of the Syrian Community Network, spoke about what they’ve seen on their eight visits to Syria since the regime change. “Shops and hotels are full,” she said. “Restaurants are bustling with people and it’s really amazing.”
More recently, Syria has sought to awaken a key oil port and sign major energy deals – using the Iran conflict as a source of economic opportunity. Syria is also bringing back its airports and with them, the tourism industry. Sahloul said the rise in tourism—which has more than doubled from last year—is a good sign.
Institute for Global Engagement president Bob Roberts stressed that much more needs to be done in Syria. He mentioned the need for humanitarian assistance, as well as an increase in religious literacy and an embrace of a pluralistic, civil society. Mostly though, he is worried about Israel’s role, whose ongoing military campaign in southern Syria has led to economic fragility.
Nonetheless, Roberts said, “It doesn’t do any good to talk about peacemaking if people are hungry.”
Humanitarian aid isn’t the only way the United States can help the people of Syria. Immigration policy, particularly the Temporary Protected Status granted by U.S. law to Syrian refugees, is a key concern.
“Please extend TPS for Syrians because Syria is not ready to receive the thousands of people who will return. Housing and jobs are not available yet,” said Suzanne Akhras. “TPS holders have built their lives here as doctors, engineers, teachers, PhD students, entrepreneurs – they are giving back to the communities that welcome them. They pay their taxes and they see themselves as Americans.”
TPS status and benefits for Syrians were originally to end in late 2025.
The Mullin v. Doe decision in late June upheld the administration’s choice to end TPS status for Syrians. Under the law, those who obtain it can receive permission to work and travel, and will not be forced to leave the country.
Sahloul also emphasized the need for civic and interface organizations to keep Syrians united, as well as the need for the international community to step in with some of the funds necessary for reconstruction.
“The world bank has estimated that Syria will need $260 billion to rebuild, which is ten times the whole GDP of the Syria economy,” he said.
America’s Role
The process of distributing humanitarian aid is rarely a simple undertaking. Despite Syria’s appearance of turning over a new leaf, some of the restrictions imposed by the previous government remain. One example is that aid must be filtered through government-affiliated groups such as the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and the Syria Trust for Development.
Nonetheless, Sahloul said, “a unified, stable Syria serves the U.S. strategic interest” and sees outside resources as essential to Syria’s stability. “I think all of us agree on this, that the local communities are the ones who should provide solutions and should tell us what they need and we support them with technology, with training, with resources.”
“Syrians have suffered one of the most brutal wars in this century simply because they vote for freedom and for democratic reforms,” he added.
As for the American government’s response, South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson provided a glimpse. “I see such opportunity,” he said, adding that he was “happy to work” on extending TPS.
