Syria open to al-Sharaa-Netanyahu meeting at UN assembly

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
29 Jun 2025 23:43

Roi Sharon reports Syria may agree to a Netanyahu-Sharaa meeting at the UN General Assembly, with a list of Syrian demands and a planned visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Damascus.

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Syria's interim leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, walks in the presidential palace ahead of a meeting in Damascus, Dec. 28, 2024 (AP)

Syria is open to a potential meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syria's interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Roi Sharon, a military analyst for the Israeli channel Kan 11, claimed on Sunday.

According to Sharon, Damascus’ primary condition for dialogue with "Israel" is a withdrawal from southern Syria, while the occupied Golan Heights is currently not on the negotiating table.

A well-informed Syrian source allegedly told Sharon that Damascus does not rule out the possibility of a Netanyahu-Sharaa meeting at the UN. On the Syrian side, preparations are reportedly underway for an upcoming visit to Damascus by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

'Israel' in direct, daily contact with new Syrian gov.

It is noteworthy that Tzachi Hanegbi, head of the Israeli "National Security" Council, revealed that direct, daily dialogue exists between "Israel" and the new Syrian government, according to Israel Hayom.

During a closed session of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Hanegbi indicated that the talks include both political and security coordination and are personally supervised by him, as part of potential normalization efforts between the two sides.

“There is direct daily dialogue at all levels between Israel and the regime in Syria. I am leading it with political officials there,” he said.

When asked by Knesset member Amit Halevi whether normalization could lead to a withdrawal from the buffer zone in Syria, Hanegbi responded, “If there is normalization, we’ll examine this,” but clarified that “we will not withdraw from the Syrian Hermon.”

Ahmad al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Joulani, when he was leading HTS, has long positioned himself as a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause in his speeches, often denouncing any form of contact or negotiation with "Israel."

However, his silence in the face of recent Israeli media claims that Damascus is open to talks with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, and that al-Sharaa himself may meet him at the UN, stands in stark contrast to his earlier fiery rhetoric.

Al-Sharaa’s lack of condemnation or comment, particularly as Israeli officials boast of daily coordination with the Damascus authorities, exposes a contradiction in his narrative and raises questions about the consistency and sincerity of his former proclaimed resistance to normalization.