Conspiracy theories link Syria’s new de facto leader to Israel’s Mossad

Critics of the Syrian rebel alliance that toppled President Assad this month push conspiracy theories linking Islamist chief to Israel’s Mossad, with rumors that the Sunni fundamentalist with ties to Al Qaeda is actually Jewish.

By World Israel News Staff

The radical Sunni rebel commander who claimed de facto control over Syria earlier this month after deposing President Bashar Assad has found himself the target of rumors alleging he has a hidden Jewish background, that he is a secret Mossad agent, or even that he is actually the president of Ukraine in disguise.

Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, known also as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, led the Islamist rebel force Tahrir al-Sham to victory of regime forces on December 8th, and subsequently declared himself leader of a new Syrian regime.

Born in Saudi Arabia to a Syrian family from the Golan Heights, al-Sharaa joined the Al Qaeda terrorist organization in 2003 and actively fought against American forces in Iraq, before being captured.

Upon his release in 2011, al-Sharaa established the Al Qaeda-aligned al-Nusra Front – a Sunni force formed to challenge the Alawite-Shi’ite regime of the Assad family in Syria.

For years, al-Sharaa maintained ties with Al Qaeda, and was placed on the U.S. State Department’s terrorist wanted list, before distancing himself from Al Qaeda in 2016.

Despite his Muslim bona fides, following the capture of Damascus, critics of the Syrian rebels and supporters of the Assad regime have promoted rumors that al-Sharaa is Jewish – or at least of Jewish heritage – and that he is an active agent of Israel’s Mossad, America’s CIA, or both.

“Why is there no knowledge of Abu Muhammad al-Julani’s family,” an Iranian X/Twitter handle named Dr. Shahla asked.

“Look it up and make sure. It is very likely that he will turn out to be like Abu Hafs, the preacher of the Libyan mosque, who turned out to be a Jewish officer in the Israeli Mossad.”

Another user, operating under the moniker “Roaring of the Syrian Revolution,” which has tens of thousands of followers, dubbed al-Sharaa a “creation of the Mossad.”

Others have even claimed al-Sharaa is actually Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, The Jerusalem Post reported.

“The terrorist Julani kept dressing, talking and taking pictures like the Jew Zelensky,” claimed Egyptian journalist Hossam al-Ghamry. “And the media applauds him… Netanyahu is so happy with you.”

“This tells us that Mossad and CIA have a shortage of stylist jobs.”

Still others compared the rebel chief to the late Israeli spy Eli Cohen, who managed to infiltrate Syria’s military intelligence establishment in the 1960s before being uncovered and executed.

“Israeli Mossad: This is a spy we prepared well,” tweeted Egyptian jurist Salwa al-Soubi.

A Danish economist-turned-politician, Mads Palsvig, posted a tweet on X claiming that al-Sharaa is Jewish, and was born as Yonatan Zvi David.

The claim was viewed over two million times on X.

Abu Mohammad al-JulaniAntisemitismSyria