US Brokers Rare Syria–Israel Meeting in Paris
US-brokered meeting aims to normalize Syria-Israel relations.
Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani held a rare direct meeting with an Israeli delegation in Paris on Tuesday, brokered by the United States to push for normalized relations amid heightened tensions. The talks, reported by Syria’s state-run SANA news agency, focused on de-escalating conflicts and reviving the 1974 ceasefire agreement, which established a demilitarized zone and UN peacekeeping presence between the two nations.
A senior Trump administration official, speaking anonymously, confirmed the discussions, emphasizing the US commitment to fostering “lasting stability and peace” in the region, aligning with President Donald Trump’s vision of a “prosperous Middle East.” No specific outcomes from the Paris meeting were disclosed.
This marks the first time Syria has publicly acknowledged direct negotiations with Israel, a departure from previous indirect talks. Israel has not officially confirmed the meeting. Tensions escalated after the December overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad by Islamist insurgents, prompting Israel to seize the UN-patrolled buffer zone in Syria and launch airstrikes to prevent hostile forces, like those backed by Iran during Assad’s rule, from establishing a presence near its border.
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The talks follow recent violence in Syria’s Sweida province, where clashes between government forces, Bedouin clans, and Druze groups led to alleged atrocities, including the killing of Druze civilians and a US citizen. Israel responded with airstrikes on Syrian military targets, including the Ministry of Defense in Damascus, claiming to protect the Druze, a minority group loyal to Israel. A US-mediated truce, alongside Turkey and Arab nations, has since reduced hostilities.
On the same day, US envoy Tom Barrack met with Moafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of Israel’s Druze, to discuss de-escalation and humanitarian aid for Sweida, where Druze face a government blockade. Tarif called for US support to end the siege and ensure Druze safety. While some Druze in Sweida have sought Israeli assistance, waving Israeli flags in protests, this has sparked outrage among other Syrians, who labeled them traitors.
Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights, seized from Syria in 1967, remains a point of contention, recognized only by the US. With Syria’s new government under former al-Qaida commander Ahmad al-Sharaa pledging minority rights but facing sectarian violence, the Paris talks signal a fragile step toward regional stability.
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