Netanyahu says 'open' to deal with Syria after veiled warning from Trump
The premier said Israel will not compromise on its 'principles,' repeating his demand for a full demilitarization of southern Syria
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on 2 December that Tel Aviv is open to a deal with Damascus but will not compromise its terms, one day after US President Donald Trump issued a veiled warning urging Israel against actions that “interfere with Syria’s evolution.”
“After 7 October, we are determined to defend our communities on our borders, including on the northern border, and to prevent the entrenchment of terrorists and hostile activities against us; to protect our Druze allies; and to ensure that Israel is secure from ground and other attacks from areas near the border,” Netanyahu said while visiting the soldiers who were injured in a rare resistance operation in southern Syria just days ago.
“What we expect Syria to do is, of course, to establish a demilitarized buffer zone from Damascus to the [Israeli-held] buffer zone, and of course the approaches to Mount Hermon and the Hermon summit,” the Israeli premier added.
“In a positive atmosphere and with understanding of these principles, it is also possible to reach an agreement with the Syrians – but we will stand by our principles in any case,” Netanyahu concluded.
Six Israeli soldiers were wounded in a resistance operation in southern Syria early on 28 November.
The attack took place during the early hours of Friday as Israeli troops were carrying out an arrest raid in the village of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside. The Israeli army had raided the area to detain what it said were two members of the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Islamic Group (Jamaa al-Islamiya). It claimed they had been plotting attacks on Israel.
The Israeli forces came under fire as they were leaving Beit Jinn with both men in custody.
As the soldiers came under fire, Israeli warplanes, drones, and helicopters carried out strikes on the area, killing at least 13 people.
Damascus’s UN representative condemned the attack but confirmed that a “military response to Israel’s provocations is not currently on the table,” adding that Syria would address the attack “through internationally recognized means.”
The Israeli army occupied large swathes of southern Syria after the fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s government last year. It has since carried out hundreds of airstrikes, destroying the capabilities of the former Syrian army.
In recent weeks, Israel has stepped up incursions and raids in southern Syria.
Damascus and Tel Aviv have been engaged in direct talks to reach a security arrangement since the start of the year. The Syrian government has vowed that it has no interest in confronting Israel and has reportedly made commitments to coordinate with Tel Aviv against Iran, Hezbollah, and the Axis of Resistance.
Despite this, Israel has shown no willingness to pull out from Syria and has linked the withdrawal to a comprehensive peace agreement. As a result, Syrian–Israeli negotiations are now said to be stalled, despite reports of progress in recent months.
Israel’s Channel 13 said after the Beit Jinn ambush that Tel Aviv was considering expanding attacks on Syria.
Since coming to power in December last year, Syria’s new government has been cracking down on Palestinian resistance factions, which for decades were given a safe haven in the country. The crackdown, which included arrests and asset seizures, came at the request of Washington.
“The US is very satisfied with the results displayed, through hard work and determination, in the country of Syria. We are doing everything within our power to make sure the government of Syria continues to do what was intended, which is substantial, in order to build a true and prosperous country,” Trump said on Monday evening.
“It is very important that Israel maintain a strong and true dialogue with Syria, and that nothing takes place that will interfere with Syria’s evolution into a prosperous state,” he added.
Since early this year, Damascus’s forces have slaughtered thousands of Syrian civilians from the Alawite and Druze minorities.