U.S. President Donald Trump, on a visit to the Syrian Ahmed al-Sharaa president on May 14, encouraged Syria to make peace agreements with Israel, who have been doing hundreds of airstrikes on Syria for months.
Since the new Syrian president came into power last December, Israel has been doing these airstrikes on Syria. They are facing international disapproval, as Syria’s UN ambassador condemned the airstrikes. Israel has also been in a war with Hamas, the group governing the Gaza Strip, since October 2023.
“Some of my family is unsafe in Israel,” says Aaron Goldman, 13, on the Dream Team, “and one of my cousins was in the military.”
Ms. Jennifer Masood, a seventh grade history teacher on the Champions team, recalls a lot of border disputes similar to this.
“Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Gaza, even in WW2 there were many border disputes with the Nazis and the countries who had Germans living there such as Czechoslovakia and Poland,” she says.
One of the airstrikes was close to Syria’s presidential palace, and many other airstrikes have been attacking Syria’s capital city, Damascus.
An anonymous FCPS Syrian eighth grader says, “I do not prefer to have my family continuously bombed just because I exist as a Syrian.”
Aaron says that Israel’s actions are justified.
“Syria was aggressive first,” he explains.
The anonymous eighth grader’s ideas differ.
“The invasion was unprovoked and uncalled for with no reasons to back this action up,” they said. “Israel had no right to act during this time.”
Ms. Masood said she worries about conflicts like this.
“I believe that countries should be respectful of borders and should resort to negotiations rather than fighting when there are disputes or disagreements,” she says. “Unfortunately it is the innocent citizens who get caught in the middle.”
Noelle Shadid, 12, on the Dream team, thinks that this is really bad.
“It could probably escalate into a war,” she says.
Syria has some good news, as President Trump announced from Saudi Arabia that economic restrictions that have been placed on Syria have been removed, causing huge celebrations in Damascus. The President also encouraged President al-Sharaa to make agreements and peace with Israel. However, due to the amount of Syrian land Israel is currently occupying, diplomatic ties would be difficult to arrange.
The anonymous eighth grader says he does not expect other countries to help Syria.
“Geopolitics plays a great role in this conflict like most throughout the world and Syria is not in a position to have nations fight for it,” they say.
Noelle thinks Syria might have some help.
“The United States has been aiding Israel and Lebanon would probably help Syria,” Noelle says.
According to Al Jazeera, Israel claims some of its airstrikes to be in defense of a religious community in Syria, the Druze, which even the Druze deny themselves.
A Washington Post article says the Druze have had some violent interactions with Syrian government forces, and dozens of people have been killed in the past weeks.
These fights have been partially caused by mistrust between the Druze and the government.
This Druze community could be looking to Israel for help from Syrian government attacks.
“Israel is not the enemy,” says Druze religious leader Hikmat al-Hijri.
Ms. Masood worries about the possibility of a war.
“Hopefully this issue will be de-escalated through negotiations,” Ms. Masood says.
