Jobar Reconstruction and the Eliyahu Synagogue: Claims of Israeli Links

You'll be rolling on your back laughing if we tell you we've caught a whiff of Israel in the Jobar reconstruction file.

And if we tell you there may be a connection between Mousa al- Omar, Maysaa Qabbani, Damascus Governor Muhammad Hamsho, the Khayyat brothers, Jared Kushner, Trump's son- in- law, Israel, and the Jobar file, you won't stop going, "Ha, ha, ha,

ha!"— you'll burst out laughing just like people burst out laughing at Muhammad Saeed Salam, head of the Popular Leadership in Jobar, when he said that.

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

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

But neither you nor your great- grandfather will dream of it.

What is this, "Jobar's move" for this phase?

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 appeared very early on, with our mentor and teacher, the great journalist Mousa al- Omar, accompanied by a number of Syrian Jews, early on meaning just a few weeks after Assad fell.

In 720 BC, they came, of course, from 95.

You said 92, 92. How many Jews were left in Damascus?

No, six or seven. Six people, maybe seven.

And these are special photos of a street we're proud to present to the synagogue.

Which is said to have been established in 720 BC, according to a sign on it.

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

According to the Israeli account, it's one of the oldest areas in the region where Jews lived.

During Mousa al- Omar's visit. Who was with him in front of the synagogue?

By the way, it was only after this visit that we finally learned what Mousa al- Omar's position was, because, according to National Public Radio in the United States, NPR, which covered this visit, said al- Omar was an adviser to His Excellency.

Anyway, al- Mousa went down accompanied by a group of Syrian American Jews, along with a non-Syrian rabbi named Asher Lobatin, who has visited Syria more than once since the fall of the Assad regime.

He met with several Syrian officials, such as Qutaiba Idlib, Hind Kabawat, and Nidal al-Shaar.

Later, our one and only minister, Kabawat, granted Henry Hamra a license for the Jewish Heritage Foundation in Syria.

Asher doesn’t hide that he is a Zionist and supports Israel, and his was the highest Zionist position at Damascus University in September 2025.

And this is 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 will become best friends.

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

Among the American Jewish figures Sharrah 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, discussing Syrian- Israeli negotiations.

Lauder also supports Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, and is a personal friend of U.S. President Donald Trump, Habib al- Habibna, and he is an American billionaire.

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

Hamra sent a letter in three languages to Commander Ahmad al- Sharaa who had not yet become His Excellency in January 2025, asking for protection for the Jews still in Syria, for the preservation of Syrian Jews' property,

for the restoration of the Prophet Elijah's Cave and Jobar Synagogue, and to allow Syrian Jews to visit their homeland and preserve their heritage.

Benjamin later said he received a positive, surprising response from al- Sharaa and His Excellency told him, “Consider it done.”

By now, we have Israeli Jewish interest in Jobar and the synagogue, and a Syrian political desire for normalization, for normal relations and even more, and kind gestures, visits, and comings and goings between us.

As a result of the official interest in counting all the visits, messages, and meetings.

The management of all the synagogues, including Jobar Synagogue, was entrusted to the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the commissioner for the Mosaic community in Syria, Alaa al- Lajoub, who told Al-Shari‘.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is handling this file.

Today, with its limited resources, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is trying to help us with restoration work.

If there are any violations, it is the ministry that is carrying them out, that is— —taking action on this matter.

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

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

Now, the file is with the Ministry of— translate.mom