Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to discuss negotiations with Syria during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25.
Before boarding his flight, Netanyahu said he and Trump would address opportunities created by the Gaza war, the Israeli-Iranian war in June, and other military conflicts, including “prospects for improving relations with other Middle Eastern states.”
According to Israel Hayom, Israeli officials, including Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, said on September 25 that while expanding the Abraham Accords and ties with Arab states has slipped down the priority list, the most noteworthy element in Netanyahu’s talks with Trump is the negotiations with Syria.
The newspaper reported that Trump has been pressing Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to show flexibility and reach an agreement with Israel in the coming days.
American officials acknowledged, according to Israel Hayom, that major gaps remain, particularly concerning Israeli control over Mount Hermon and across the Golan Heights, in addition to “security guarantees for the Druze minority allied with Israel,” as the paper put it.
Other sticking points include Israel’s demand to maintain freedom of movement in Syrian airspace, including conducting strikes against what the paper described as “terrorist targets.”
If an agreement is reached, Israel Hayom suggested it could stabilize multiple fronts, especially Lebanon, and even improve relations with Gulf states currently backing al-Sharaa.
Objective of negotiations
In a post on X on September 24, Netanyahu’s office said talks with Syria aim to safeguard Israel’s interests.
It noted that any deal must ensure Israel’s priorities, chiefly “disarmament in southwestern Syria and the protection and security of the Druze.”
Since the events in Suwayda (southern Syria) in July, Israel has announced direct involvement, striking government forces around the province and even hitting the Syrian Defense Ministry’s General Staff building in Damascus, citing “Druze protection.”
Netanyahu confirmed that Israel has been engaged in talks with the Syrian government and that some progress has been made, but described the vision of peace as “still for the future.”
During a cabinet meeting on September 21, reported by Israel’s Channel 13, he said Israel’s “victories” over Hezbollah in Lebanon had “opened a window for the possibility of peace with our northern neighbors,” referring to Syria.
Agreement or turmoil
In his UN General Assembly address, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa highlighted Israel’s actions in Syria since the regime’s collapse on December 8, 2024.
He said Israeli threats have not ceased since that date, describing Israeli policies as contrary to international support for Syria and its people.
He warned that Israel seeks to exploit Syria’s transitional phase, risking “a spiral of new conflicts with no foreseeable end.”
In response, al-Sharaa said Syria is relying on “dialogue and diplomacy to overcome this crisis,” reaffirming its commitment to the 1974 disengagement agreement. He urged the international community to stand with Syria to confront these “threats” and respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Israeli proposal
Several weeks ago, Israel submitted a detailed proposal to Syria for a new security agreement, including a “map of demilitarized zones stretching from Damascus to the Israeli border,” according to the U.S. outlet Axios.
The proposal draws on Israel’s 1979 peace treaty with Egypt (the Camp David Accords), which divided Sinai into three zones with varying levels of demilitarization depending on proximity to Israel.
According to Axios, Israel’s draft proposal includes:
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Expanding the buffer zone on the Syrian side by two kilometers.
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Prohibiting Syrian military forces and heavy weapons in the strip adjacent to the buffer zone nearest Israel.
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Allowing Syria to maintain police and internal security forces.
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Designating the entire area from southwest Damascus to the Israeli border as a no-fly zone for Syrian aircraft.
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