“I am coming for you Jew…I will make your blood flow in rivers,” soldiers from the Syrian Arab Army chanted outside the historic Damascus Citadel on Saturday, according to Arab media reports and footage published on Sunday.
The soldiers stood in formation while chanting “Allahu akhbar” and “I will sacrifice my body” in protest of the situation in Gaza, according to the Arabic channel Al Araby TV.
The demonstration notably came after Israel rejected the 15-point plan for the Gaza Strip proposed by the Board of Peace, demanding Hamas first be disarmed.
Anti-Israel rhetoric continues under Syria's new leadership
Public statements and chants from security officials against Israel have intermittently circulated online since Ahmed al-Sharaa seized control of Syria in 2024. In December, footage showed members of the 60th Division threatening Israel
Prof. Eyal Zisser, a Middle East expert from Tel Aviv University, told The Jerusalem Post that the frequent threats being voiced by Syrian ministries and military officials were only “natural” given that Syria’s security apparatus integrated active members of radical Islamist groups.
Needing to balance Washington’s support with the Islamists who brought him to power, Zisser suggested that Sharaa was unlikely to confront radical and rogue elements within the security forces, even after major sectarian attacks left thousands dead last year and members of the Alawite, Druze and Christian minorities continue to face attacks.
Moderate image clashes with extremist rhetoric
Sharaa has sought to present a more moderate image to Washington, where he was previously considered a wanted terrorist for his role as leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, while media coverage has highlighted efforts to portray a new, reformed Syria.
Damascus announced months ago that it had thwarted a planned attack on a rabbi in the capital, while reports have also emerged of hotels offering kosher menus and efforts to return seized assets to Syrian Jews.
Despite the efforts, Zisser said that Damascus does not have a Jewish community, only a handful of individuals willing to live in a country where incitement is carried out with impunity.
“I’m not surprised [by this incident]. Some Christians are being attacked, women are being attacked, minorities and other groups are being attacked. This is the new Syria,” Zisser said.
“On the one hand, the regime wants to send a message to the outside world that everything is okay. On the other hand, it needs the support of these people, so it can’t confront them.”
Expert warns against complacency despite Syria's current weakness
Asked whether this poses a real threat to Israel, Zisser answered that in its current state, Syria is too weak to attack.
The National reported in June that Damascus was still investing heavily in expanding its military, with plans to double its forces to 200,000 personnel. The force would include foreign fighters and members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other radical groups, some of whom would reportedly be offered citizenship in exchange for their service.
Notably, on October 7, 2023, around 6,000 Palestinians were able to enter Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and abducting approximately 250 others in what became the largest loss of Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust.
“Hamas succeeded because we were stupid. I hope we will not be stupid this time,” he said when asked whether a strengthened Syria could inflict the same level of damage, or greater, in a few years, given the size of the Syrian Arab Army.
Expert raises concerns over Syria's new military leadership
Dr. Zoe Levornik, a security researcher at the Alma Research and Education Center, described the video as “concerning,” likening it to other videos where chants of “Khaybar, Khaybar, O Jews,” alongside Salafi-jihadist messages were documented.
“The concern is not only about statements made by individual soldiers, but about the people now receiving senior positions in the military and security services,” she said, noting that the Alma Center has previously reported that much of the new SAA came from HTS, Jabhat al-Nusra, and other jihadist organizations.
“All five commanders designated to lead the new regional corps have backgrounds in such organizations, including the commander responsible for southern Syria and the border with Israel,” she warned.
Levornik said that the footage also raised questions as to the future of the SAA. “If figures from HTS’s old guard fill the positions being vacated, we may not be witnessing the transformation of militias into a state army, but rather HTS’s gradual takeover of the military,” she continued.
From Israel’s perspective, Levornik said there was concern that actors with jihadist and antisemitic views will gain a state framework, weapons, resources, and command over forces deployed near the border with Israel.
“The al-Sharaa government should therefore be judged not only by its moderate public statements, but also by the identities of its commanders, the ideology taking root within its forces, and their conduct on the ground,” she concluded.