Syria's top diplomat and Israeli delegation meet in Paris as US pushes for normalizing ties

Korea Herald

21 hours ago

BEIRUT (AP) — Syria's foreign minister held a rare direct meeting with an Israeli delegation in Paris on Tuesday, talks that were brokered by the United States as part of a diplomatic push for Syria and Israel to normalize relations despite a recent surge in tensions between them.
Syria's state-run SANA news agency said Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani met with Israeli officials to discuss de-escalating tensions and restoring a 1974 ceasefire agreement — a deal that established a demilitarized separation zone between Israeli and Syrian forces and stationed a UN peacekeeping force to maintain calm.
The statement gave no details on the outcome of the Paris meeting. But a senior Trump administration official, who was not authorized to comment publicly on the matter, confirmed the talks.
'The United States continues to support any efforts that will bring lasting stability and peace between Israel and its neighbors," the official told The Associated Press, adding that the backing follows President Donald Trump's outlined "vision of a prosperous Middle East' that includes a 'stable Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors — including Israel.'
"We want to do everything we can to help achieve that,' the official added.
In the past, Syrian officials have acknowledged holding indirect talks with Israel to defuse tensions, but this was the first time they acknowledged taking part in direct negotiations. There was no immediate confirmation of the meeting from Israel.
Tensions have soared between the two neighbors following the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad in December in a lightning rebel offensive led by Islamist insurgents.
Shortly after Assad's overthrow, Israeli forces seized control of the UN-patrolled buffer zone in Syria set up under the 1974 agreement and carried out airstrikes on military sites in what officials said was aimed at creating a demilitarized zone south of Damascus.
Israel has said it will not allow hostile forces to establish themselves along the frontier, as Iranian-backed groups did during Assad's rule. It distrusts Syria's new government, which is led by former Islamist insurgents.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaida commander who severed ties with the militant group years ago, has pledged to build a new country that respects the rights of minorities, but sectarian violence has erupted on a number of occasions, raising concerns about Syria's fragile transition.
Israel stepped up its intervention when violence erupted in Syria's Sweida province last month between Bedouin clans and government forces on one side and armed groups from the Druze religious minority on the other.
During the fighting, some government forces allegedly killed Druze civilians, including a medical worker in a hospital in Sweida — an incident that was caught on video — and a US citizen.
Other videos circulating online have shown fighters forcibly shaving the mustaches off Druze sheikhs, or religious leaders, and stepping on Druze flags and photographs of religious clerics. The Syrian government has said it is investigating the allegations.
The conflict then prompted airstrikes against Syrian forces by Israel before a truce — mediated by the US, Turkey and Arab countries — halted most of the fighting.
Israel said it was acting to protect the Druze, who are seen as a loyal minority in Israel and often serve in the military. Israel launched dozens of airstrikes on convoys of Syrian forces around Sweida and struck the headquarters of the Syrian Ministry of Defense in the heart of Damascus, Syria's capital.
Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed the strategic plateau in a move that has only been recognized by the US. The rest of the international community views the Golan as occupied Syrian territory.
Earlier on Tuesday, US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack posted on X that he had held a 'warm and informative meeting' with Moafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of Druze in Israel, and that the two discussed "how to bring together the interests of all parties, de-escalate tensions, and build understanding.'
Tarif described the meeting as 'excellent' and said the Druze want American assistance with an end to the blockade of Sweida and humanitarian aid for the people there, the return of the Druze who were kidnapped during the fighting, as well as American assurances of Druze security.
Though the fighting has largely calmed down, Syrian government forces have surrounded the southern city of Sweida, named after the province, and the Druze have said that little aid is getting in, describing the situation as a siege.
While the Druze in Syria have historically been wary of Israel, an increasing number are now open to seeking Israeli assistance. Hundreds demonstrated in Sweida on Saturday to demand the right to self determination for the Druze minority, with some protesters waving Israeli flags.
Videos and photos of the spectacle circulating on social media sparked outrage from many other Syrians, who accused the protesters of being traitors.