Henry Hamra, a Syrian-American from a Jewish background, reached out to his friend Mouaz Moustafa after hearing that Islamist rebels had ousted Bashar Assad, marking the end of over six decades of Ba’athist rule in Syria. Together, they launched a yearlong campaign to lift sanctions that had been imposed on Syria, which raised tensions between prominent Syrian American Jews and the Israeli government. Hamra, who fled Syria in 1992 after the Ba’athist regime lifted its travel ban on Jews, and Moustafa, the founder of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, aimed to ensure that the sanctions did not adversely affect Syria’s new government following Assad’s ousting in December 2024. Their efforts ultimately contributed to the lifting of the Caesar sanctions on December 19, 2025, a year after Assad’s removal, which had previously restricted Syria’s access to the global economy.
Why It Matters
The collaboration between Hamra and Moustafa highlights the evolving dynamics among Syrian communities, especially given the historical context of Jewish exile under the Ba’ath regime. The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which sanctioned Assad’s regime, was a response to documented human rights abuses, including torture and mass executions. The lifting of these sanctions reflects a significant shift in U.S. policy towards Syria post-Assad, impacting the country’s reconstruction and international relations. This development also underscores the role of the Syrian diaspora in shaping political outcomes in Syria, particularly for minority communities historically impacted by the regime’s policies.
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