Pompeo, Netanyahu Meet Following U.S. Syria Withdrawal

U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu following Israeli concerns over the U.S. withdrawal of troops from northern Syria. (Flickr)

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on October 18 to discuss ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. The meeting came one day after Pompeo and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in an attempt to broker peace in the ongoing conflict between Turkey and Kurdish groups in northern Syria. When asked about his meeting with Netanyahu, Pompeo said, “We shared our ideas about how we can ensure Middle East stability together, and how we would further our efforts to jointly combat all the challenges that the world confronts here in the Middle East." 

The withdrawal of U.S. troops from northern Syria amid the Turkish incursion targeting Kurdish groups in the area has displaced at least 200,000 people. The invasion further concerned many Israelis. Nethanyahu touched on this unease when he described the Middle East as “a sea of troubles and turbulence.” Amos Harel, a military correspondent for Al-Monitor, said President Donald Trump’s end to U.S support of Syria's Kurds "forces Israel to rethink its Middle East strategy…. The American withdrawal raises questions about the extent of Trump's commitment to Israel when push comes to shove." 

Many of Netanyahu’s conservative colleagues echo this discomfort and worry that recent developments have left a power vacuum that Iran and other anti-Israel forces could take advantage of. Pompeo hoped to reassure Israel of the United States’ continued support in his meeting with Netanyahu, as Israeli officials worry that the U.S. may abandon them in a conflict with Iran. The alleged Iranian attacks on Saudi oil fields have only exacerbated this fear. As such, Netanyahu has endeavored to pressure Pompeo into maintaining U.S. commitments on sanctions against Iran and pushed an Israel-written alternative nuclear agreement with Iran if negotiations begin. 

Both Pompeo and Netanyahu stressed the importance of the U.S.-Israeli relationship and cited the meeting as a huge success. Netanyahu said, “if there's one thing that stands out, it’s the durability, stability and strength of the American-Israel alliance.” Despite this show of faith, some Israeli officials are still concerned, and one anonymous Israeli diplomat expressed his disbelief in Pompeo’s promises, saying, “Pompeo may be positive and promise to deliver these goods. The question is what such a commitment is worth. Given the current state of affairs, Netanyahu is Trump’s last concern as he grapples with far more burning questions of survival in Washington. Israel’s troubles are of less interest as is Benjamin Netanyahu’s personal fate.”