Trump could bring Netanyahu, Syria’s al-Sharaa to normalization talks

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
30 Jun 2025 06:34

An American rabbi who met with Syria's interim president says that Trump can facilitate a meeting between Netanyahu and al-Sharaa.

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Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, right, shakes hands with US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, in Damascus, Syria, on May 29, 2025. (AP)

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, a senior American Jewish leader who recently met with Syria’s President Ahmad al-Sharaa, suggested that a direct meeting between Syrian and Israeli leaders could materialize if facilitated by US President Donald Trump.

Speaking to the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation (KAN), Cooper said, “I think the only way that would be a quick way is if someone named Donald Trump calls two people, the Israeli prime minister (Benjamin Netanyahu) and the Syrian president, to come to Washington and sit for a few hours.”

“That could change the picture,” he stated.

He added that Trump’s continued involvement and promise to help “rehabilitate” Syria would be essential for any breakthrough.

“Without that, it will go slowly, step by step,” he noted.

Cooper confirmed that Syria’s new president, whom he described as an “Islamist,” had nevertheless voiced a vision of national unity and equal rights.

“Sharaa speaks about a future for his country that includes a united Syria with one army and equal rights. If he can do this, this will change the rules of the game,” he said.

Syrian–Israeli initiatives include water, agriculture, heritage

According to Israeli media outlets, Rabbi Cooper’s visit to Damascus included the presentation of several proposals for cooperation between Syria and the Israeli occupation in key sectors such as water management, agriculture, and the issue of missing persons.

In a symbolic gesture, Cooper reportedly thanked al-Sharaa for his government's assistance in recovering part of the intelligence archive of infamous Mossad spy Eli Cohen, who was captured and executed in Syria in 1965. Cooper is said to have also requested help in locating Cohen’s remains for burial in the occupied territories.

Israeli outlets further revealed that al-Sharaa expressed interest in restoring Jewish synagogues and heritage sites in Syria, and did not rule out the possibility of future Jewish pilgrimages to Syrian territory “at the appropriate time.”

While Damascus’ overtures are framed by some as diplomatic pragmatism, it is worth noting that they take place even as “Israel” continues to occupy Syria’s Golan Heights, expands its military presence in southern Syria, and carries out regular airstrikes on Syrian territory.