Why We Wrote This President Donald Trump is pushing hard for a security deal between longtime U.S. ally Israel and emerging partner Syria. But suspicions about President Ahmed al-Sharaa and concerns over the status of Syrian Kurds and Druze are giving many Israelis pause. Israel has historic ties with and sympathies to the minority groups, who seek continued autonomy within Syria. Mr. al-Sharaa was in Moscow on Wednesday, his second visit in four months, to discuss the future of Russian bases in Syria with President Vladimir Putin. Syria’s Kurdish minority is under intense pressure by Mr. al-Sharaa to give up their arms and become part of a united Syria.