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Momentum builds for Israel-Syria peace as Trump reboots regional diplomacy
For the first time, Syrians are openly calling for peace with Israel. In an interview with Fox News Digital, journalist Furat Alali from Damascus said, «We want a future without wars. We want to live. People are not afraid to speak up anymore.»
Her statement reflects a significant shift in the country’s political landscape, as many Syrians begin to openly discuss the prospect of peace with Israel. This change comes at a time when Syria and Israel are engaged in direct talks as Reuters revealed on Tuesday, marking a dramatic departure from the decades-long hostility between the two nations.
Reuters reported, Israel and Syria have recently held direct meetings focused on security issues along their shared border. These talks represent a major step in the relationship between the two countries, which have been adversaries for decades.
A WEAKENED HEZBOLLAH LEADS SOME IN LEBANON TO TALK OF PEACE WITH ISRAEL AS US PUSHES SIDES TOGETHER
A Syrian opposition fighter takes a picture of a comrade stepping on a portrait of Syrian President Bashar Assad in Aleppo, early Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Sources familiar with the discussions have indicated that the U.S. has played a pivotal role in facilitating these talks, encouraging Syria’s new leadership to engage with Israel.
The discussions come after a shift in U.S. policy, following President Donald Trump’s meeting with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa earlier this month. The meeting signaled a break from decades of U.S. hostility toward Syria’s Assad regime and opened the door to potential normalization between Syria and Israel.
While the talks are still in the early stages, Trump’s engagement has raised the possibility of Syria’s leadership eventually normalizing ties with Israel, although this process will likely take time.
Furat Alali explained: «We don’t want to be part of the Axis of Resistance anymore. The Palestinian cause has been used to oppress us. We feel sympathy for the Palestinians, but now we need to focus on Syria and our future.»
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in this handout released on May 14, 2025. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via Reuters.
Lina Ali, a 24-year-old pharmacist from Latakia, told Fox News Digital, «We feel for the people of Gaza. We condemn the mass killings, but we are in a different situation. We are thinking about our own interests now. The idea of exploiting the Palestinian cause to oppress the Syrian people has been rejected. We are tired of this.»
Another young woman interviewed by Jusoor News, a Pan-Arab media outlet, shared similar thoughts: «We are for anything that serves our country’s interest. We’ve lived through difficult times. The country’s economy is very weak. It’s time for people to live.»
FALL OF SYRIA’S BASHAR ASSAD IS STRATEGIC BLOW TO IRAN AND RUSSIA, EXPERTS SAY
An elderly Syrian man explained to Jusoor, «We’ve spent 40-50 years preaching Arabism and liberating Palestine, and what do we have to show for it? Nothing. It’s time for peace.»
The shift in Syria’s stance on Israel is significant, especially given the historical enmity between the two nations. For decades, Syria and Israel have been locked in conflict, with the status of the Golan Heights remaining a key point of contention since its capture by Israel during the 1967 war. Syria’s involvement in the Axis of Resistance, aligning with Iran and Hezbollah against Israel, has been a cornerstone of its foreign policy.
However, the recent emergence of interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa has raised new possibilities, as well as concerns.
Furat Ali said, «I was one of the journalists who extensively covered the violations of Jabhat al-Nusra before the fall of the Assad regime, the group Al-Jolani emerged from (using his previous name), which was part of al-Qaeda. I know exactly what they did. So, when I first heard that Al-Jolani was taking over Aleppo and challenging Assad, I was scared.»
The Syrian army sends reinforcements, including tanks, armored vehicles and rocket launchers, to Latakia and Tartus as search operations against the ousted regime forces expand following an attack on security forces in Latakia province of Syria on March 7, 2025. (Izettin Kasim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«But as time went on,» she added, «when he rebranded himself as Ahmed al-Sharaa and promised a new direction, I saw he was smart. He managed to convince the West to lift sanctions and engage with him, bringing back international recognition for Syria. While we remain skeptical and cautious, what we’re seeing from Sharaa domestically is so far being accepted.»
Joseph Braude, founder and president of the Center for Peace Communications, highlighted the significance of the shift in public opinion within Syria. He noted, «People in Syria and Lebanon often associate the Palestinian issue with dictators who exploited it to justify corruption and brutality. There is a growing rejection of pro-Palestinian militancy, as many people now desire to turn the page and focus on new partnerships aimed at developing their own countries.
«We believe that it has become a majority view in Syria that if peace with Israel brings economic development and improvements, then it’s worth pursuing.»
Syrians gather at Umayyad Square to celebrate the collapse of 61 years of Baath Party rule in Damascus, Syria on December 9, 2024. (Murat Sengul/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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He also pointed out that in countries dominated by Iran and its militias, ordinary people have the clearest understanding of the harm these groups cause. «They are among the most eager for a different future, increasingly calling for peace,» Braude added.
As one man interviewed by Jusoor News put it: «We’ve suffered years of oppression and war. It’s time for reconstruction. We need peace with everyone,» another Syrian added’ «I support normalization a million percent! If normalization with Israel, or America or whoever can bring us comfort, then I’m on board. We just want peace!»
INTERNACIONAL
Nancy Pelosi says sex changes for trans kids is something she’s working for ‘at the national level’
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Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that sex changes for transgender children is something she’s working for «at the national level.»
Earlier in the day, Pelosi toured the San Francisco VA Medical Center to review health-system upgrades, research initiatives and—according to a press release from her staff—the threat that House Republicans might slash core veterans’ services.
While speaking with reporters, she was asked how her office was responding to pauses to «gender-affirming care» in California.
«That is something I’m working for at the national level, and we are hoping we can have gender-affirming care for our trans kids,» Pelosi said. «It’s a sad thing for us… I don’t know what effect we can have nationally with what we have going on in the White House and in Congress.»
DEMOCRATIC STATES SUE TRUMP ADMIN OVER ENDING SEX CHANGE SURGERIES FOR MINORS
Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi told a reporter on Aug. 7, 2025, that she was working at the national level to get sex changes for transgender children. (John Lamparski/Getty Images)
She called the situation «really sad, adding that a transgender-pride flag—five horizontal stripes of light blue, pink and white—hangs outside her office. Pelosi also said several colleagues display the same flag.
She acknowledged that many Republicans on Capitol Hill oppose medical transition for transgender youth.
Still, she is not alone in her stance on sex changes for kids.
CHILDREN’S NATIONAL HOSPITAL IN DC TO END GENDER TRANSITION MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS
FILE – Protesters for and against sex changes for transgender minors demonstrate outside the Supreme Court on Dec. 4, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)
Earlier this month, over a dozen officials from Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from blocking access to sex change procedures and treatments for people under the age of 19.
The complaint, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, argues that the Trump administration wants to impose a nationwide ban on sex change procedures by threatening providers with «baseless criminal charges» and investigations.
The lawsuit names President Donald Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Justice Department as defendants. It challenges Trump’s Jan. 28 executive order barring government support for sex change operations and treatments and two memos by Bondi and Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate.
Pelosi’s office told Fox News Digital the Democrat was referring to this lawsuit when she spoke about supporting sex changes for children.
TRUMP’S JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TARGETS DOCTORS, CLINICS WHO PROVIDE SEX CHANGE PROCEDURES TO MINORS
A protester waves a transgender pride flag outside of the U.S. Supreme Court Building on June 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Bondi’s memo directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate and prosecute those who offer sex-change treatments to minors. Shumate’s memo directs prosecutors to prioritize investigations against doctors, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies that perform such procedures.
In July, Kaiser Permanente announced that it would pause sex change surgeries for patients under 19 beginning Aug. 29 in response to the Trump administration’s efforts on the matter. The same month, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles shuttered its Center for Trans Youth Health and Development, one of the nation’s largest clinics for transgender young people.
The Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., also announced that it will no longer provide gender transition-related medical interventions.
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Many states have laws restricting or banning sex change surgeries for children. The states named in the lawsuit – California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin. – allow such procedures.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
nancy pelosi,legislation,washington dc,republicans
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Israel’s Security Cabinet early Friday approved a plan to occupy Gaza City, marking an escalation in Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas.
The announcement comes after an all-night meeting of the security cabinet, following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement that Israel planned to retake control over the entire territory and eventually hand it off to friendly Arab forces opposed to Hamas.
Israel’s Security Cabinet early Friday approved a plan to occupy Gaza City, marking an escalation in the nearly two-year war between Israel and Hamas. (Ali Jadallah/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Israel has bombarded Gaza City repeatedly since Oct. 7, 2023 in addition to carrying out numerous raids. Today, it is one of the few areas of Gaza that hasn’t been turned into an Israeli buffer zone or placed under evacuation orders.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
israel,middle east,world,conflicts
INTERNACIONAL
Fuertes críticas y abucheos al presidente Arce y su vice en el Congreso en el acto por el Bicentenario en Bolivia
A poco más de una semana para las elecciones nacionales con dos candidatos de derecha como favoritos, los legisladores bolivianos abuchearon al vicepresidente y criticaron a los gritos la política económica del presidente Luis Arce, quien en los actos por el Bicentenario hizo un discurso de autoelogio y sin autocríticas en medio de una crisis nacional que paraliza a Bolivia.
El vicepresidente de Bolivia, David Choquehuanca, desató una nueva polémica en medio del clima electoral rumbo a los comicios del 17 de agosto, tras afirmar en su mensaje por los 200 años de la fundación política del país que en el Altiplano “persiste el caudillismo”, lo que alimenta el autoritarismo de los líderes partidarios y el fanatismo de sus seguidores.
“¡Ya se van, ya se van!”, le gritaron en su réplica a Choquehuanca desde los palcos en medio de su discurso en el que también habló de manipulación electoral.
Las elecciones se presentan muy desfavorables para el oficialismo ya que ninguno de los tres candidatos cercanos a sus filas figuran con posibilidades de pasar a la segunda vuelta. Al contrario, el empresario de derecha Samuel Doria Median lidera todos los sondeos (entre 20 y 22% de votos) seguido de cerca por el ex presidente conservador, Jorge Tuto Quiroga. Los otros postulantes se hallan muy lejos por debajo del 10%.
Durante la sesión de honor de la Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional en la Casa de la Libertad de Sucre, Choquehuanca —que concluirá su mandato el 8 de noviembre junto al presidente s Arce— sostuvo que el Estado Plurinacional representa un sistema nuevo de autogobierno, pero reconoció que aún enfrenta serias limitaciones en un escenario político complejo y polarizado.
“Estamos en un escenario preelectoral donde se fabrican encuestas y se manipulan datos de la realidad, mientras el pueblo queda fracturado sin haber elegido”, denunció. Choquehuanca insistió en que el país necesita unidad, acuerdos y comprensión de los errores. “Para unos, la solución será seguir peleando; otros elegirán la fuga ante promesas incumplidas”, reflexionó, en lo que varios analistas interpretan como una crítica velada a las fracturas internas del Movimiento Al Socialismo (MAS), partido al que pertenece y que está en el poder desde hace 20 años.
El discurso de Choquehuanca se suma a la controversia generada por la intervención del presidente Arce, quien también fue cuestionado por evitar la autocrítica y centrarse solo en la defensa del llamado “proceso de cambio” y sus 20 años de reformas, como la nacionalización de los hidrocarburos o la industrialización con sustitución de importaciones. Sin embargo, para los economistas Gonzalo Chávez y Armando Ortuño, el mandatario desaprovechó una ocasión histórica para hablarle al país con visión de futuro, reconocer la crisis y llamar a la unidad nacional.
“Fue un discurso para la autocomplacencia. Un narcisismo macroeconómico que no abordó lo más grave: filas por pan, gasolina, dólares y empleos. No fue el discurso de los 200 años, fue el de los 20 años del populismo”, opinó Chávez durante un análisis televisivo posterior al mensaje.
Ambos economistas cuestionaron duramente la falta de autocrítica del presidente y su insistencia en atribuir los problemas económicos a factores externos. “El presidente vive en una burbuja ideológica. No reconoce el colapso del sector hidrocarburos, la caída en educación, ni el déficit fiscal crónico. Bolivia dejó de ser una potencia gasífera y ahora importa energía. Esa realidad quedó ausente”, añadió el economista paceño.
Por su parte, Ortuño lamentó la ausencia de un mensaje que inspire unidad y rescate los logros colectivos del país en dos siglos de historia. “Era una oportunidad para mirar al país como un proyecto común, hablar de nuestras potencialidades, no solo de las fracturas. No se trataba de defender un modelo, sino de construir un relato que incluya a todos”, reflexionó.
Ambos coincidieron en que, frente a una economía con serios desequilibrios fiscales, cambiarios y de abastecimiento, el presidente optó por minimizar los problemas. “Dijo que la escasez de combustibles es coyuntural, cuando en realidad refleja problemas estructurales acumulados. El próximo gobierno, sea cual sea, tendrá que enfrentarlos”, advirtió Ortuño.
Finalmente, los dos economistas lamentaron que en un momento simbólico como los 200 años de la independencia, el mensaje presidencial haya priorizado una visión polarizante de la historia construida sobre confrontaciones y no sobre acuerdos.
Bolivia,Luis Arce
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