I Met the Syrian President, and Here’s What I Learned | Rabbi Abraham Cooper

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This is the 30 minute TV version of Jan Jekielek’s interview with Abraham Cooper. The longer-form version was released on Epoch TV on August 18, 2025.

🔴 Watch the extended version of this episode: http://bit.ly/4lROTGq

A few weeks ago, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, a prominent advocate for religious freedom and human rights, was invited to the Presidential Palace in Damascus, Syria, alongside fellow religious freedom advocate Johnnie Moore.

They had an intimate meeting with the new president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa.

In this episode, the rabbi shares what he learned about al-Sharaa and whether he believes a peace between Syria and Israel is possible in the near future.

“There’s a term in Hebrew: It’s called Kabdehu ve Hashdehu, [which] means show respect and verify,“ he says. ”So, this is not a ‘kumbaya’ moment. This is a moment where there’s great leverage.”

Cooper previously chaired the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom and also serves as associate dean and director of global social action for the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

CHAPTER TITLES
0:00:00 Introduction and Trust in Diplomacy
0:00:09 Meeting the Syrian President: Background and Context
0:01:26 Reflections on the Meeting and Syria’s Domestic Challenges
0:07:00 Humanitarian Proposals: DNA Project and Desert Development
0:16:09 Cold Peace vs. Warm Peace in the Middle East
0:21:05 Personal Reflections on Visiting Damascus
0:22:51 Closing Remarks and Farewell