A historic meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syria’s transitional leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, could take place this autumn, potentially on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, according to Israeli media reports. The high-stakes negotiations aim to produce a landmark security agreement, seen as the first crucial step toward a full normalization of relations between the two long-standing adversaries. The talks are reportedly being brokered by the United States and the United Arab Emirates, with the tacit approval of Saudi Arabia.
The prospect of a diplomatic thaw has been bolstered by recent high-level contacts. The UAE allegedly hosted a meeting between Israel’s National Security Advisor, Tzachi Hanegbi, and al-Sharaa to discuss the framework for rapprochement. Hanegbi later confirmed in a closed-door Knesset session that Israel maintains a direct line of communication with Syria’s new leadership, signaling a serious and coordinated effort to reshape regional dynamics following the collapse of the previous Syrian government on December 8, 2024.
However, significant obstacles threaten to derail the process. A key point of contention is Israel’s military presence in southern Syria. Netanyahu’s government is reportedly unwilling to commit to a near-term withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), arguing that the new 60,000-strong Syrian army is not yet capable of securing the region and preventing it from becoming a haven for hostile forces. Israel’s concerns were underscored by a recent IDF raid targeting a militant cell in southern Syria, which Israel claimed was operating under the direction of Iran’s formidable IRGC Quds Force.
Equally challenging is the unresolved issue of the Golan Heights, a territory Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 war and later annexed. Israeli officials have been unequivocal in their position. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stated that while Israel seeks to expand the Abraham Accords to include Syria, “in any peace agreement, the Golan Heights will remain part of the State of Israel.” For his part, al-Sharaa has not clarified whether Damascus would be willing to concede its claim to the territory in exchange for normalization and a potential lifting of crippling U.S. sanctions.
The potential for a Syrian-Israeli détente has already provoked a sharp backlash from Iran and its allies. A senior official from the Lebanese group Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, decried the fall of Damascus as a blow to the pro-Iranian axis and labeled any form of normalization with Israel as “extremely dangerous.” Complicating the picture further is the uncertain position of Turkey, the primary international patron of Syria’s new government. Israel is actively working to prevent the establishment of Turkish military bases in Syria, viewing such a development as a direct threat to its national security, adding another layer of complexity to the fragile diplomatic landscape.