Jobar Reconstruction and the Eliyahu Synagogue: What Is Israel’s Role

You'd laugh your head off if we told you they've smelled Israeli involvement in the Jobar reconstruction file.

And if we told you there might be a connection between Mousa al- Omar, Maysa Qabbani, Damascus Governor Muhammad Hamsho, the Khayyat brothers, Jared Kushner, Trump's son- in- law, Israel, and the Jobar file.

And you wouldn't stop laughing until you burst, like when everyone burst out laughing at Muhammad Saeed Salam, head of the Jobar Popular Command, when he said that.

The president of the United States has a son- in- law, what's his name?

Kushner. He's a partner in some of the companies coming here to Jobar.

But neither you nor your ancestors would ever dream of it.

What does a fart have to do with a marshmallow?

How on earth did you come up with that? We're just trying to follow a few tangled threads that all lead to one place or originate from one place.

The Prophet Elijah Synagogue in Jobar. This synagogue showed up very early, in front of it, our teacher and mentor, the great journalist Mousa al- Omar, accompanied by a number of Syrian Jews.

Early meaning just a few weeks after Assad fell.

120 B.C. They came, of course, in 1995. You left in 1992. 1992.

How many Jews are left in Damascus? Six or seven.

Six or seven people. And these are exclusive photos of a street we're proud to present to the synagogue which is said to have been built in 720 B.C. according to a sign on it.

According to the Israeli narrative, the Jobar Synagogue is linked to the prophets Elijah and Elisha, and is presented as an exceptional landmark linked to the prophets and the history of Jewish presence in Damascus.

And the whole Jobar neighborhood, according to the Israeli narrative, is one of the oldest areas where Jews settled in the region.

During Musa al- Omari's visit, who was with him in front of the synagogue?

By the way, it was only after this visit that we learned what Musa al-Omari's position was, because according to National Public Radio, NPR, which covered this visit, he was described as an adviser to His Excellency.

Anyway, al- Musa went with a group of Syrian- American Jews and a non-Syrian rabbi, Asher Lopatin. who visited Syria more than once after the fall of the Assad regime and met with several Syrian officials, such as Qutaiba Idlibi,

Hind Kabawat, and Nidal al-Shaar. Note that our one and only minister, Kabawat, granted Henry Hamra a license for the Syrian Jewish Heritage Foundation.

Asher doesn’t hide that he’s a Zionist and supports Israel and proudly stated his Zionist position at Damascus University in September 2025.

And here’s what he says. At our visit with the president of the University of Damascus, I openly told faculty, students and administrators that yes, I am a Zionist and I hope that Syria and Israel become best friends.

And while some were surprised, most understood, and I sincerely believe that the Al- Sharaa administration understands.

Among the American Jewish figures Al- Sharaa met in person was World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder.

The meeting took place in New York in September 2025 and lasted more than half an hour. about the Syrian-Israeli negotiations.

Lauder also supports Israel's sovereignty over the Golan, and is a personal friend of U.S. President Donald Trump, our beloved, beloved friend, and he is an American billionaire.

The name of Jobar Synagogue also appeared in a letter addressed by Benjamin Hamra, the Syrian-born rabbi who lives in Israel and is known as the rabbi chief of Syrian Jews in Israel.

Hamra sent a letter in three languages to leader Ahmed al- Sharaa, who had not yet become His Excellency in January 2025, asking him to protect the Jews still in Syria, preserve the property of Syrian Jews, restore the Cave of the Prophet Elijah, Jobar Synagogue,

and allow Syrian Jews to visit their homeland and preserve their heritage.

Benjamin later said he received a positive, surprising reply from al- Sharaa, who told him, "Your Excellency, consider it done."

So far, we have Jewish- Israeli interest in Jobar and the synagogue, and a Syrian political desire for normalization and ordinary, even more than ordinary, relations, and courtesies, visits, and comings and goings between us.

As a result of the official interest in hosting visits, receiving letters, and holding meetings.

The administration of all the synagogues, including the Jobar Synagogue, was entrusted to the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to the commissioner for the Mosaic community in Syria, Alaa al- Rajoub, who told Al-Shari‘.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is handling this file.

Today, with its limited resources, the Ministry is trying to help us with the restoration work If there are any violations, it is the Ministry that is taking action, that is— taking the initiative on this matter.

Previously, the file was handled by Political Affairs, headed by Mr. Bilal al-Hajar, and the person in charge of the file was Mr. Mohammad Diab.

They had tried to restore many sections of the ruined synagogues.

Now, at present, the file is with the Ministry…