Sharaa becomes 1st Syrian leader to address UN in 6 decades
NEW YORK
Turning the page on decades of distance, Syria’s president addressed the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 24, marking the first time any president from his country has done so in almost 60 years.
As Ahmad al-Sharaa spoke, hundreds of people gathered in front of giant screens in Syrian cities and towns to witness the speech while waving the country’s flags.
After six decades of dictatorship that killed 1 million people and tortured hundreds of thousands, “Syria is reclaiming its rightful place among the nations of the world,” Sharaa told the international community.
"Syria has transformed from an exporter of crisis to an opportunity for peace," Sharaa said in his address.
Sharaa, sporting a neat-fitted Western suit and tie, said Syria had turned a page after a half-century of iron-fisted rule by the Assad family.
But he warned that Israel, which has repeatedly attacked its historic rival since the fall of Assad, was damaging the new Syria's prospects.
"I guarantee to bring to justice and hold everyone accountable who was responsible for the bloodshed," Sharaa said.
"In this context, Israeli strikes and attacks against my country continue, contradicting the international support for Syria and threatening new crises," he said.
He said Syria was committed to a ceasefire agreement reached after the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which Israel has declared at least temporarily void after Sharaa's forces toppled Assad in December.
"In the face of this aggression, Syria is committed to dialogue, and we're committed to the Disengagement of Forces Agreement of 1974," Sharaa said.
"We call on the international community to stand beside us in the face of these attacks."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement after the speech that any deal was "contingent on ensuring the interests of Israel."
The interests include demilitarizing southwestern Syria and safeguarding the rights of the Druze, a community with a strong presence in Israel, it said.
