Why al-Sharaa is signaling openness to Syria-'Israel' ties: Al-Monitor
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The Syrian president reportedly signals openness to normalizing ties with "Israel" "under certain conditions," amid shifting regional dynamics and ongoing US pressure.
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Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, during a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, following their meeting at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025 (AP)
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has expressed willingness to consider joining the US-brokered normalization deals, marking a potential shift in Syria-"Israel" relations, according to US Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.), who met with the Syrian leader during a recent visit to Damascus.
“I said, ‘The Abraham Accords — is that something you would be open to?' And he said, ‘Absolutely, but under certain conditions,’” Stutzman told Al-Monitor.
While al-Sharaa did not disclose the specific conditions, Stutzman said the Syrian leader voiced concerns over ongoing Israeli military operations in Syria and accused "Israel" of attempting to divide the country, pointing to Israeli-backed efforts for a Druze-controlled autonomous region near the border.
Stutzman and Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) became the first US lawmakers to meet with al-Sharaa since the HTS leader led a rapid offensive that toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December.
US engagement with Syria’s transitional government
“It’s important that we’re talking with the new government to find out what his motives and intentions are,” stressed Stutzman, adding, "We want, if we can, to have an ally and a friend to Israel in the Middle East.”
Despite the shift in leadership, the United States has maintained economic sanctions on Syria, originally imposed during the al-Assad era. The Trump administration has outlined conditions for potential engagement and sanctions relief, which do not include a requirement for Syria to establish relations with "Israel".
In a potential sign of cooperation, Syrian authorities recently detained two senior officials from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement, fulfilling one of Washington’s demands for lifting sanctions.
Charles Lister, director of the Syria Initiative at the Middle East Institute, said al-Sharaa's government appears willing to entertain the idea of joining the "Abraham Accords", though the "certain conditions" which the Syrian leader referred to "simply do not exist today.”
Lister pointed out that al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani are carefully navigating public messaging.
They’re "playing the game a little bit here by saying the most that they can say to please their audience without pushing the boat too far and suggesting that they're about to do something which they're not,” he explained.
Syria and "Israel" remain technically at war, with no formal diplomatic ties. The Israeli occupation military has frequently targeted Syrian military positions, citing threats from weapons transfers.
In February, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the “complete demilitarization” of southern Syria. Al-Sharaa, in turn, has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the 1974 ceasefire agreement with "Israel".
Lister indicated that "the key challenge that any transitional Syrian government is going to face is towing that very fine line between standing up for your sovereignty using legitimate channels and avoiding taking Israel's bait, which is to hit back against any of these acts of [Israeli] aggression."
Trump administration pushes to expand normalization deals
The report highlighted that US President Donald Trump, who brokered the original normalization agreements between "Israel" and four Arab nations, remains focused on expanding the agreements.
"We're going to be filling up the Abraham Accords," Trump told reporters Thursday.
While Saudi Arabia is seen as "the ultimate prize," the Trump administration is also exploring opportunities with other Arab and Muslim-majority countries, Al-Monitor mentioned.
Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, has pointed to Syria and Lebanon as future candidates for normalization, a possibility that Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has publicly rejected.
Tom Warrick, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said al-Sharaa’s willingness to discuss potential normalization with "Israel" is a strategic move to gain Trump's attention.
Al-Monitor suggested that as Syria’s economy remains devastated by years of war and sanctions, al-Sharaa faces immense pressure to deliver economic relief. According to the United Nations, roughly 75% of Syria’s population now relies on humanitarian aid.
“Sharaa needs to get economic benefits flowing to the Syrian people, because if he can't, then many Syrians several months from now will start to wonder: Is Sharaa the right person to be leading us out of the abyss?” said Warrick.
