0 $
2,500 $
5,000 $
500 $
AUGUST 2025 يوم متبقٍ

Syria’s Sharaa Is Willing To Meet Netanyahu, Open To Give Up Golan For Peace With Israel

Support SouthFront

Syria’s Sharaa Is Willing To Meet Netanyahu, Open To Give Up Golan For Peace With Israel

File image.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, an American rabbi who recently met with Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa, told Israel’s Kan public broadcaster on June 29 that the Islamist leader was willing to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“I think the only way that would be a quick way is if someone named [US President] Donald Trump calls two people, the Israeli prime minister and the Syrian president, to come to Washington and sit for a few hours. That could change the picture,” Cooper said.

“If Trump signals that he is going to stay involved and tell Sharaa, I am going to help rehabilitate your country, then anything is possible. Without that, it will go slowly, step by step,” the rabbi added.

“It is correct that he is an Islamist,” Cooper said of Sharaa, “but Sharaa speaks about a future for his country that includes a united Syria with one army and equal rights. If he can do this, this will change the rules of the game.”

Recent reports have indicated that the Syrian Islamist-led government was moving towards a peace agreement with Israel, one that includes full normalization.

Despite Israel’s continued military operations in Syria, talks with the government there saw much progress in recent weeks.

According to a report by Lebanon’s LBCI news channel, Syria has outlined several conditions for normalizing relations with Israel.

These reportedly include official Israeli recognition of al-Sharaa, a full withdrawal from territories captured by Israel after the fall of the Assad regime last December, an end to Israeli strikes in Syria, security arrangements in southern Syria, and United States guarantees and support for the Syrian government. In return, Syria may agree to permanently recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, occupied more than 50 years ago.

Speaking on Kan on June 30, a Syrian official said that the country had not brought up the issue of the Golan Heights in negotiations with Israel.

According to the official, “the contact between Israel and Syria could be very meaningful,” and that the current government in Damascus is opposed to Iran and its proxy terror groups, Hezbollah and Hamas.”

“The issue of the Golan hasn’t even come up yet in the discussions. It is still early. But the Americans are a key factor here,” the official said.

On the same day, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said that Israel was interested in establishing diplomatic relations with Syria and Lebanon but will not withdraw from the Golan Heights.

“Israel is interested in expanding the Abraham Accords and the circle of peace and normalization,” Sa’ar said during a joint press conference in Jerusalem with Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger.

“We have an interest in including countries such as Syria and Lebanon — our neighbors — in the circle of peace and normalization, while safeguarding Israel’s essential and security interests,” the minister continued.

“In any peace agreement, the Golan will remain part of the State of Israel,” he added.

It is not surprising that Israel is seeking to keep the Golan Heights, not that Sharaa is open to the idea of giving up the strategic Syrian region in order to protect his rule.

After all, Sharaa was never Israel’s problem when it came to Syria. In fact, Netanyahu hinted more than once in recent months that Israel played a role in the fall of the regime of former president Bashar al-Assad, who throughout his rule refused to normalize with Israel without getting the Golan Heights back.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence

NOW hosted at southfront.press

Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.

The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation

Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com

SOUTHFRONT.PRESS

MORE ON THIS TOPIC:

 

Support SouthFront

SouthFront

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
59 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
59
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x