The United States is pushing for a non-aggression pact between Israel and Syria, but Netanyahu has shown little appetite for compromise.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a deal with Syria was achievable and outlined his expectation that Syrian authorities would establish a demilitarized buffer zone from Damascus, currently occupied by Israel, to Jabal al-Sheikh.
Netanyahu’s comments on Tuesday came a day after US President Donald Trump said he hoped both Syria and Israel would “share a long and prosperous relationship.”
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Talks over a security agreement between Israel and Syria have been going on for months, but little progress appears to have been made in recent weeks.
Syria does not formally recognize Israel, which expanded its illegal occupation of Syrian territory last year.
Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 war and subsequently illegally annexed the area, a move recognized by the United States but rejected by much of the international community.
Then, following the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, it broke the 1974 agreement and expanded further into Syrian territory, occupying areas including all of Jabal al-Sheikh, a mountain overlooking northern Israel and southern Syria.
Israel has repeatedly attacked Syria over the last year, despite claims that the new Damascus government does not want fighting. Most recently, an Israeli military raid last Friday killed 13 people in the town of Beit Jin, southwest of Damascus.
“What we expect from Syria is, of course, to establish a demilitarized buffer zone from Damascus to Mount Hermon and a buffer zone that includes the approach to the summit of Mount Hermon,” Netanyahu said, using the Israeli name of Jabal al-Sheikh, during a visit to wounded soldiers in central Israel.
“We hold these areas to ensure the safety of Israeli citizens, and that is what obligates us.”
He added: “With goodwill and an understanding of these principles, it is possible to reach an agreement with the Syrians, but in any case we will uphold our principles.”
The Trump administration is trying to broker a non-aggression pact between the two countries, while the US president has expressed support for Syria’s new leader, President Ahmed al-Shalah.
President Trump praised the progress under the nascent government of al-Sharaa, which has promised to unite Syria after years of civil war and sectarian divisions.
“The United States is extremely pleased with the results of hard work and determination in the country of Syria,” the US president wrote. “We are doing everything in our power to ensure that the Syrian government continues to do what it intended to do to build a truly prosperous country. This is substantive.”
“Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is working hard to ensure that good things happen and that both Syria and Israel have a long and prosperous relationship,” he added.
Immediately after President Trump’s statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the two leaders spoke by phone.
Israel and Syria have been in talks over a settlement for months, but Israeli media recently reported that negotiations between the two sides had stalled, largely as a result of Netanyahu’s unwillingness to compromise on Israel’s refusal to withdraw from territory it captured last year.
Israel also reportedly requested to be allowed to maintain an air corridor to Iran via Syria in case it is needed for future airstrikes.
