The Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group slammed Israel’s airstrikes on Syria, in a statement that is part of a wider influence operation by Tehran.
According to the Palestinian news agency Sama, PIJ “condemned the continuous aggressions of the Israeli regime on Syrian territory.”
On the one hand, this seems normal because many groups and countries have critiqued these actions.
However, the statement is part of a wider Iranian influence operation aimed at making it seem like Iran and groups such as PIJ are on the new Syrian government’s side.
Notably, Tehran was an ally of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, and Iranian-backed groups have opposed the new government in Syria.
Still, Iran condemned Israel’s strikes on Syria on Saturday. Now, PIJ has said, “Arab Islamic nations will not be safe from Israel’s aggression on Syria.”
PIJ leaders once resided in Damascus. However, they appear to have left after the fall of the Assad regime.
Further, the new Syrian government detained two PIJ members in April. Rumors on social media suggested that the new government has also detained members of the PFLP group.
This means that Palestinian groups that used to partner with the Assad regime are now less welcome in Damascus. They want to be welcomed. Therefore, they are trying to demonstrate that they are in favor of the new regime by condemning Israel’s strikes on Syria.
Iranian state media IRNA wrote on Sunday that PIJ “considered Israel’s aggression against Syria to be an expression of the regime’s expansionist plans.”
The report went on to note, PIJ “has said that Israel’s aggressions are against all Arab and Islamic nations, especially Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria, and that the rest of the Arab regions will not be safe from these aggressions and their consequences.”
Specifically, PIJ said it “deemed such aggressions against Syria to be an expression of the regime’s expansionist plans.”
It added that the Israeli strikes were “clear evidence of the aggressive... plans of the occupying regime against the Arab and Islamic nations within the framework of dividing the region.”
PIJ ties with the new regime in Syria
PIJ wants to ingratiate itself back into Syria and also work with other Palestinian groups there.
Most of these groups backed Assad, and they are not welcome today by the new government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa.
It remains to be seen if Israel’s airstrikes will cause Sharaa to embrace these groups and if Iran finds a way back to Damascus by condemning Israel’s strikes. Tehran is clearly aiming to return to Syria.