Image of the leaders Ahmed al Sharaa (Syria) and Benjamin Netanyahu (Israel)
Syria and Israel would begin negotiations for a security pact that has already intensified in Damascus, where President Al Sharaa stated that dialogue between both nations could yield results in the coming days. This agreement will be supported by the UN (United Nations) to ratify the viability of the present agreement, which underscores Israel's obligation to respect Syria's airspace and territorial integrity.
The proposal is based on talks aimed at achieving a cessation of Israeli bombings and the withdrawal of Israeli troops in southern Syria following the fall of dictator Bashar Al Assad (President from 2000-2024) on December 8, 2024, after thirteen years of civil war that began with government protests on March 15, 2011, during the Arab Spring. The Syrian leader reported that he has conducted over 1,000 bombings and more than 400 ground incursions into Syrian territory since the rebel offensive that overthrew Al Assad, and Sharaa stated that Israeli military action is contrary to U.S. support for a stable and unified Syria, a situation described as "dangerous" by Al Sharaa.
According to U.S. press reports, Washington is exerting pressure for both parties to reach an agreement before the international leaders' meeting at the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week. However, Al Sharaa denied that Syria is under pressure from the United States but acknowledged the U.S. as a major mediating power rather than a coercive party in the negotiations.
This agreement, initiated in Damascus, would bear similarities to the détente treaty signed in 1974, which established a demilitarized zone between both countries that ended the fire and separated the military forces of both countries in the Golan Heights. While the Syrian government demands the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, Israel wishes to maintain a military presence in strategically captured areas on December 8, such as Mount Hermon, and Israeli authorities have publicly expressed their intention to control these territories considered "strategic."
Sharaa stated that if this agreement is solidified, future negotiations for other types of agreements could open up, but dismissed the possibility of diplomatic normalization similar to what occurred after the Abraham Accords in September 2020, facilitated by the United States, which led to the normalization and re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and Arab countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, among others. Regarding the Golan Heights, Syrian territory occupied by Israel and supported by Donald Trump and Jordan to stabilize southern Syria, Sharaa stated that it will be another topic to discuss at the negotiation tables, considering it a matter of "great importance."
The negotiations for the present agreement were weakened in July when clashes occurred between Druze militias and Bedouins in the Suweida province (located in southwestern Syria). These confrontations intensified as Syrian military forces withdrew heavy weaponry from the conflict zone, and on the other hand, Israel intervened as it claimed it had to fulfill its goal of ensuring and safeguarding the protection of the Druze community, as well as fulfilling the demilitarization of southern Syria.
If we focus on the current situation in Syria, it currently has a provisional government, meaning it is a government that exercises its governmental functions during a transitional period, whether after a coup, revolution, or vacancy of power. This has been the case since December 8 of last year when the regime of Bashar Al Assad fell, and now Ahmed Al Sharaa assumes this role of provisional government, as diplomatic relations between Jerusalem and Damascus have been suspended since the creation of both states.
Despite the absence of bilateral relations between both states, there have been instances of direct meetings between both nations, such as the recent meeting in August in Paris between Syrian Foreign Minister Asad Al Shibani and Foreign Minister Ron Dermer, and the upcoming meeting scheduled for September 19 in Baku, Azerbaijan, where high-ranking officials from both countries will participate. However, this situation leaves uncertainty between both nations regarding what will happen if an agreement is reached for a better future and prosperity in these Middle Eastern countries, which helps achieve stabilization and balance of violence in this region of the world.
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