Syria foreign minister says door open for diplomacy with Israel

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani says the door for diplomacy with Israel is open, urging it to seize a “historic opportunity”.

In an interview with the Reuters news agency, published on Sunday, al-Shaibani said he expects the talks over a security deal that would lead to Israel’s withdrawal from Syrian territory to resume soon.

He said negotiations over the security agreement were frozen at the start of the US-Israel war on Iran and that no date has been set for a resumption of talks.

Al-Shaibani also stressed that Damascus’s priority is to halt Israeli attacks, saying confidence-building steps were needed in this direction.

The United States has been trying to broker a security deal between Israel and the government of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a new US ally in the Middle East, for ⁠more than a year. But an agreement has proven elusive as Israel has sent troops into Syrian territory and attacked government assets, citing threats to its security.

“We believe there should be contact, especially with a party that constantly threatens the security of Syria. But if this contact doesn’t bring results, then we don’t need it,” al-Shaibani said. “We do not trust Israel currently.”

The Israeli prime minister’s office ‌did not respond to a request for comment.

Al-Sharaa has said Syria poses no threat to other countries and that it is instead focused on rebuilding after 14 years of civil war.