The Syrian Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, has stated that the door for diplomacy with Israel is open, urging the latter to seize a ‘historic opportunity’ for a potential breakthrough in relations. In an interview with Reuters on Sunday, al-Shaibani emphasized that negotiations over a security deal that would lead to Israel’s withdrawal from Syrian territory are expected to resume soon, though he cautioned that no definitive date has been set for a resumption of talks.
He stressed that while Damascus’s primary focus remains to halt Israeli attacks, particularly those targeting government assets, confidence-building steps are crucial. Al-Shaibani asserted that the United States is actively pushing for a security agreement between Israel and the Syrian President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, a new US ally in the Middle East, but has found no agreement yet.
The US has been attempting this for over a year, with Israel sending troops into Syrian territory and launching attacks on government facilities, citing security threats. Al-Shaibani stated, ‘We believe there should be contact, especially with a party that constantly threatens the security of Syria. But if this contact doesn’t bring results, then we don’t need it.’ He further emphasized that Syria doesn’t trust Israel currently.
Israeli officials have not yet responded to requests for comment. Al-Sharaa has indicated that Syria poses no threat to other countries and is instead focused on rebuilding after 14 years of civil war. Israeli officials have discussed a range of potential dangers in Syria, with several criticizing the new government, even as al-Sharaa worked to strengthen ties with Washington.
In the days following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad in 2024, Israel seized territory in southwest Syria, citing the need to safeguard its citizens against attack, and bombed dozens of Syrian military sites. Al-Shaibani said, ‘Israel has tried to maintain its security through brute force, and it hasn’t succeeded anywhere.’ He believes negotiations will resume soon, and that the US is pressuring Israel to return to the dialogue table.
He proposed that the US is urging Israel to return to the dialogue table, and that the US is ‘perhaps we can open the topics of peace and the Golan’. He further suggested Syria extending its hand for understandings, for peace, and for diplomacy, regional stability, and the potential for building stable relationships with its neighbors.
The US Department of State has not yet released a statement regarding the diplomatic efforts. Al-Shaibani said Israel had bombed Abu al-Duhur airbase, claiming Damascus was about to allow Turkish forces to deploy there. Syria and Turkey denied the claim. The US has indicated that Syria respects Israel’s security concerns but must also respect those of Damascus, instead of violating its airspace and conducting raids and arrests in the south of the country. Syria said it respected Israel’s security concerns but that it must also respect those of Damascus, rather than violating its airspace.
Syria draws on Turkish support in military training and cooperation, noting that this was also the case with Jordan, Saudi Arabia and others. Damascus was thankful for Turkey’s support in rebuilding its military, ‘and we won’t forgo support.’ The US Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, stated last week that Washington was working to establish a mechanism to prevent conflict among Israel, Turkey and Syria. Al-Shaibani said there was no agreement yet on the mechanism, which he said must stop attacks and pave the way for the security deal rather than ‘entrenching… Israeli occupation’. The US Department of State did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Source: Al Jazeera
