Nadene Goldfoot
Jolani aka Ahmed al-Sharaa
During his militant and terrorist period (primarily spanning his involvement with Al-Qaeda in Iraq, the Islamic State of Iraq, and later as the founder and leader of the Al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria), Abu Mohammad al-Jolani (Ahmed al-Sharaa) engaged in direct conflict and operations involving the U.S. and regional dynamics with Israel:
- Combat in the Iraqi Insurgency: After the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, Jolani travelled to Iraq and joined Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), fighting directly against American military forces in the Iraqi insurgency.
- Imprisonment by U.S. Forces: U.S. and Iraqi forces captured Jolani around 2005 or 2006, and he was held in U.S.-run military detention facilities in Iraq—including Camp Bucca and Abu Ghraib—before being released in 2011.
- Leadership of an Al-Qaeda Affiliate Targeting Western Interests: Upon returning to Syria in 2011, he founded Jabhat al-Nusra (the Nusra Front), which was formally designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Department of State in 2012/2013. Nusra carried out deadly bombings and asymmetric attacks in Syrian cities (such as Damascus), and the U.S. placed a $10 million bounty on Jolani's head, viewing him as a direct extension of Al-Qaeda's global network. (Jolani later publicly distanced Nusra from Al-Qaeda in 2016 and eventually pivoted toward political rehabilitation after toppling the Assad regime in late 2024). 1967 IDF in Golan
- Actions and Posture Regarding Israel
- Regional/Sectarian Fronts (The Golan & Southern Syria): During the Syrian Civil War, Jabhat al-Nusra operated extensively in southern Syria and areas near the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights (such as Quneitra Governorate).
- How He Took Over Presidency of Syria
- Avoidance of Direct Military Confrontation with Israel: Unlike his war against the Assad regime, Iran, or Hezbollah, Jolani largely avoided direct offensive military engagements against Israel during his Nusra/HTS leadership period.
- Instead, his group focused its energy on toppling Bashar al-Assad's government inside Syria. The Syrian government and the regime of President Bashar al-Assad fell on December 8, 2024, ending over 50 years of Baath Party rule when Islamist-led rebels spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) captured Damascus. During and immediately after the collapse, iconic images and videos documented the fall of the regime:
- Tearing down portraits and statues: Crowds and opposition fighters across Damascus, Homs, Hama, and other cities were filmed and photographed tearing down large portraits and billboards of Bashar al-Assad and toppling statues of his father and predecessor, Hafez al-Assad.
- Ransacking and entry into palaces: Images emerged of rebels and citizens entering Bashar al-Assad's abandoned presidential palace in Damascus and gathering in key public areas like Umayyad Square and the Umayyad Mosque.
- Opening of prisons: Widespread photos and footage documented the opening of notorious detention centers, such as Sednaya, as prisoners were freed.
- Post-Assad Stance: Following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024 and his transition into leadership, Jolani (using his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa) publicly rejected external aggression or efforts by Israel to divide or strike Syrian territory, while simultaneously navigating complex regional diplomacy.
Syria is not exactly what the Wall Street Journal sees. They say, "The December 2024 collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime sharply changed the regional orientation. Syria was suddenly no longer the lifeline of the Shiite axis on the northern front, through which Iranian weapons and money passed to Hezbollah. Instead, Damascus belongs to Ahmed al-Sharaa, a Sunni leader and former commander of al Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, who had fought Hezbollah for years."
- The Syrian-Lebanese Border and Qalamoun: Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, the Nusra Front (Jabhat al-Nusra), fought pitched battles against Hezbollah forces supporting the Syrian government. This included heavy clashes in the Qalamoun mountains and along the rugged border region between eastern Lebanon and Syria.
- Syrian Golan Heights: Al-Qaeda-supporter networks and local insurgents established a military presence on the Syrian Golan facing Syrian army units and embedded Hezbollah forces.
- Sectarian Retaliation: The conflict spilled over into sectarian violence and bombings in Lebanon (such as attacks outside Sunni mosques in Tripoli), with al-Qaeda-linked factions blaming Hezbollah for backing the Bashar al-Assad regime.
- Al-Qaeda. Background: Al-Sharaa previously served as the emir of Al-Nusra Front (an Al-Qaeda affiliate) and later led Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Salafi-jihadist rebel and governing group based in Idlib Province. Over time, HTS publicly distanced itself from Al-Qaeda, and al-Sharaa began using his birth name while attempting to rebrand as a pragmatic transitional leader. But as a terrorist as Jolani, he's the same terrorist to the people of Syria who know him well. They don't like him at all. I've met two already who verify this; one who has felt the pain of his prison.
- Origin and History of HTS: Formed on January 28, 2017, as a merger of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and other anti-Assad rebel groups. It evolved from Jabhat al-Nusra, which was originally established in 2011/2012.
- Leadership: Led by Abu Muhammad al-Julani (also known as Ahmed al-Sharah).
- Role in the Syrian Conflict: HTS played a central role in leading the military offensive that toppled the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024.
- Governance and Ideology: Rooted in Sunni Islamism and Salafism, HTS historically focused on a local Syrian agenda (overthrowing the Assad regime) rather than global jihad. It operated through the civilian-led Syrian Salvation Government in northwestern Syria (Idlib Governorate).
- International Designations: HTS is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, the United Nations, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia due to its historical roots and extremist ideology, remaining subject to international sanctions.
Some facts: Ahmed al-Sharaa's AKA was Jolani, a leading terrorist of al Qaeda.
"So far, Israel has treated Mr. al-Sharaa with skepticism", but knows he was a terrorist and still is. it's Trump that is taken in by him. Israel "responded to the Assad regime’s fall militarily, destroying Syrian capabilities and seizing a forward line in the Syrian Golan. Mr. al-Sharaa’s past raises legitimate questions about whether his political transformation from jihadist to suit-wearing rebuilder of Syria is genuine or tactical.
Even if he is truly committed to restoring Syria and stabilizing relations with Israel, the country will remain fragile. Southern Syria is vulnerable to terrorist activity; such groups have operated near the Israeli border before. The regime’s relationship with Turkey is also troubling, while the unresolved dispute over the Golan Heights remains.
Netanyahu was not taken in by Jolani/Sharaa like Trump was. The question is if a new Israeli government would be or not.
General Eisenkot, here in 1978 picture at induction, gives his opinion of Jolani.
- Skepticism as a Peace Partner. Upon being tasked with forming a government in November 2026, Eisenkot stated that al-Julani comes from an extremist background linked to the Islamic State and remains a jihadist. Eisenkot rejected U.S. assessments that the Syrian leader has moderated, declaring that Israel does not view him as a peace partner, but rather as a threat that must be managed.
- Military Presence in Syria. Eisenkot affirmed that the Israeli military will not withdraw from Mount Hermon or the buffer zones it entered in southern Syria following the fall of Assad on December 8, 2024. He stated that Israeli forces will remain in those areas as long as Russian and Turkish forces stay in Syria.
- Nuanced Diplomatic Framing. Earlier in the 2026 election cycle, Eisenkot's broader approach drew criticism from hard-line members of Benjamin Netanyahu's outgoing coalition. In August 2026, Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli called al-Sharaa "Israel's next enemy" and criticized Eisenkot for previously viewing the political transition in Syria as a potential strategic opportunity for Israel to engage with. Similarly, Al-Monitor noted in October 2026 that an Eisenkot-led government could potentially open the door to diplomatic shifts involving the United States, Iran, and Syria compared to the outgoing government.





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