The Second Stage of the Syrian War:The Quest for Regional Hegemony

The AJC Transatlantic Institute and The European Office of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung jointly organized a trilateral discussion with three leading analysts from Europe, the U.S. and Israel on the second stage of the war in Syria. 

Even though ISIS seems all but defeated as a conventional fighting force, the conflict is not so much coming to an end, as it is changing its nature: What started as a civil uprising is increasingly turning into a battleground for geopolitical dominance involving Iran, Russia, Turkey, the US and Israel.

Jonathan Spyer, Director of the Rubin Center at the IDC Herzliya, highlighted Israel’s perspective on the ongoing conflict: While not directly involved in the hostilities, the Jewish state has clearly identified its red lines and enforces them, which includes the presence of Iranian bases in Syria. Erwin van Veen, Senior Research Fellow at the Clingendael Institute, talked about the EU’s role in improving the humanitarian situation Syria and the pointed to the threat of Islamist terrorism coming from the region. Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracy, called for closer transatlantic cooperation on fixing the Iran Nuclear deal and confronting the Iranian regime’s malign regional behavior.

To watch the entire video, you can click on our Facebook page or Twitter account. 

↓ Please scroll down for photos ↓