Al-Sharaa open to political settlement with 'Israel'
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US Congressman says Syrian transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa is open to a political settlement with "Israel", including talks over the occupied Golan.
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Syria's interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa, walks in the presidential palace ahead of his meeting with Walid Ellafi, Libyan minister of state for communication and political affairs, in Damascus, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP)
Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa expressed readiness to discuss a political settlement with "Israel", including the issue of the occupied Golan, during talks with US Congressman Marlin Stutzman.
In remarks to the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, Stutzman revealed that "Al-Sharaa appeared open to the idea of peace with Israel. He confirmed that to me directly."
The congressman added that al-Sharaa made it clear that any potential settlement must preserve Syria’s unity and sovereignty within its current borders, without any form of division.
Golan negotiations not ruled out
Stutzman noted that al-Sharaa did not explicitly reject negotiations over the occupied Golan, describing this stance as a “positive development.”
According to the Israeli outlet, one of the key obstacles to progress between the two sides has been the cautious approach taken by both "Israel" and the United States. The report noted, “It is known that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio assessed three weeks ago that the al-Sharaa administration has not yet stabilized.”
Rubio had previously warned during a Senate hearing that “our assessment that, frankly, the transitional authority, given the challenges they're facing, are maybe weeks -- not many months -- away from potential collapse and a full-scale civil war of epic proportions, basically the country splitting up.”
Al-Sharaa seeks cooperation with 'Israel'
Al-Sharaa previously claimed that Syria and the Israeli occupation "have common enemies" as he called for an end to what he called "tit-for-tat bombings" and stressed the need for regional stability through cooperation.
"The era of endless tit-for-tat bombings must end. No nation prospers when its skies are filled with fear. The reality is, we have common enemies, and we can play a major role in regional security," al-Sharaa said, in reference to "Israel", during an interview for the Jewish Journal.
Furthermore, he expressed his desire to return to the 1974 disengagement agreement between Syria and "Israel", not merely as a ceasefire line but as a platform for "mutual restraint and civilian protection," claiming that this framework could ensure safety, particularly for the Druze communities in southern Syria and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.
This came amid multiple reports about direct Syrian-Israeli engagement, despite continued Israeli aggression and violations in Syria.
Read more: Syria, 'Israel' holding backchannel talks on 'security coordination'
