Syrian army soldiers filmed chanting death threats against Jews in Damascus

Syrian Arab Army soldiers were filmed chanting death threats against Jews outside the Damascus Citadel, according to Arab media reports on Sunday. The soldiers, protesting the situation in Gaza, chanted "I am coming for you Jew…I will make your blood flow in rivers." This incident follows Israel's rejection of a Gaza peace plan and occurs amidst ongoing anti-Israel rhetoric under Syria's new leadership, Ahmed al-Sharaa.

"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," said Prof. Eyal Zisser, a Middle East expert from Tel Aviv University.

Despite Sharaa's attempts to project a moderate image to Washington, experts like Zisser and Dr. Zoe Levornik of the Alma Research and Education Center highlight that Syria's security apparatus integrates radical Islamist groups, with new military commanders often having backgrounds in jihadist organizations. Levornik warned that this could signify "HTS's gradual takeover of the military," raising concerns for Israel about jihadist and antisemitic actors gaining state resources and command near its border.