Syrian Activist Reports “Once-in-a-Century Opportunity” with Israel

Syrian political activist Shadi Martini announced Wednesday at the Knesset that he had recently met with Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who expressed a desire to seize a rare moment for regional change.
The announcement came during the inaugural conference of the Knesset’s new “Lobby for a Regional Security Arrangement.”

“I met with President al-Shara a few days ago in the presidential palace in Damascus,” said Martini, a former hospital director from Aleppo and current CEO of the Multifaith Alliance. “We talked a lot about Israel, and one of the things President al-Shara said was: ‘We only have an opportunity like this once in a century. The window of opportunity will not always be open.'”

Martini, who fled Syria in 2012, described his own journey from holding “all the negative stereotypes about Israel” to building trust with Israeli partners who offered humanitarian aid. “Trust is a significant asset,” he noted. “It is difficult to achieve and very easy to lose.”
The conference, led by Members of Knesset Gilad Kariv, Ram Ben Barak, and Alon Shuster, aims to build on shifting regional dynamics in the wake of the October 7th massacre.

Adding a crucial perspective from the Gulf, prominent Saudi commentator Abdulaziz Al-Khamis addressed the assembly, framing the current moment as a major turning point.
“From the ruins of the October 7th conflict, a clear truth emerges: the Middle East is changing,” Al-Khamis declared. “The only question is whether we will change with it or be changed by it.”

He argued that nations in the Gulf are tired of proxy wars and ideological rigidity, seeking instead a “network of cooperation.” However, he made it clear that a comprehensive peace, particularly with Saudi Arabia, has conditions.
“Normalization, from the Saudi perspective, is not just a bilateral agreement. It is a regional alignment,” Al-Khamis stated. “As such, it must include a credible, unchangeable path to Palestinian sovereignty.”
He outlined the Saudi vision for this path, which includes:

• A demilitarized Palestinian state built in cooperation with regional partners.
• A transitional technocratic authority with international backing.
• A clear commitment from Israel not just to security, but to coexistence.