Israel has been holding secret talks with Syrian officials in recent days, including on the possibility of the new government joining the Abraham Accords, according to a report Thursday, a day after US President Trump invited new Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to join the accords and normalize ties with Israel,
The Times of Israel reports.
The talks are being mediated by the United Arab Emirates, Channel 12 news said, also referring to unspecified wider regional moves being advanced by the United Arab Emirates. A Haaretz report, by contrast, said the talks were being mediated by Qatar and had been going on for months.
Sharaa confirmed last week that security-related talks were being held through mediators, though he did not comment on potential diplomatic relations.
Channel 12 said one meeting was held in recent days in Azerbaijan, where Israel was represented by the chief of the IDF Operations Directorate, Maj. Gen. Oded Basyuk. He met with representatives from the new Syrian government, with Turkish representatives also present, the report said.
Trump on Wednesday urged Sharaa to join the Abraham Accords, as the two leaders met in Riyadh for the first direct talks between leaders of the countries in 25 years.
Trump later told reporters that Sharaa backs such a move. “I told [Sharaa], I hope you’re going to join [the Abraham Accords] once you’re straightened out, and he said yes,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “But they have a lot of work to do.”
Israel views Trump’s lifting of sanctions on Syria favorably, albeit while maintaining a high level of caution, and isn’t ruling out the possibility of influencing the shaping of the northern border and future relations between the two countries, Channel 12 added.
Israel’s recent views on Syria contrast with its previous position, the report noted, which was to dismiss the prospect of constructive interaction with Sharaa, a former leader in Syria’s local al-Qaeda branch, having been branded a terrorist by Jerusalem.
