Syrian‑American Henry Hamra Runs for Parliament

Henry (Henri) Hamra, a Syrian‑American Jew who fled Damascus with his father in 1992, is running for a Damascus seat in Syria’s parliamentary elections scheduled for Oct. 5; if elected he would be the first Jewish representative in parliament since 1947. His campaign emphasizes strengthening national identity, reconstruction and economic growth, protecting cultural heritage, reuniting Syrian Jews, expanding dialogue with the diaspora and seeking repeal of the U.S. Caesar Act. Hamra and his father visited Damascus in February, prayed at the Old City’s Faranj synagogue and have displayed campaign posters in the Jewish Quarter. The vote is the first legislature since the December overthrow of Bashar al‑Assad; of the 210 seats, two‑thirds will be chosen by local committees and the remainder nominated by President Ahmed al‑Sharaa, a process critics call undemocratic. The candidacy has drawn wide attention across Arab media and social networks and is viewed by some community leaders as a hopeful sign for Syria’s tiny remaining Jewish community.