Syria: Talks of peace deal with Israel are ‘premature’

Syrian state media insists peace with Israel is off the table for the time being, despite recent optimistic statements from Syrian and Israeli leaders on normalization.

By World Israel News Staff

Syrian state television poured cold water on reports that Damascus and Jerusalem are nearing a normalization agreement, stressing that the Syrian government will not make peace with Israel until the issue of Israeli troops in southern Lebanon and the Golan Heights is resolved.

“Statements concerning signing a peace agreement with the Israeli occupation at this time are considered premature,” a state-controlled news channel quoted an unnamed official as saying.

“It is not possible to talk of the possibility of negotiations over a new agreement unless the occupation fully adheres to the 1974 disengagement agreement and withdraws from the areas it has penetrated,” the report added.

Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar hinted that Israel may be getting closer to normalizing relations with several longtime enemy countries.

Israel has an “interest in adding countries, Syria and Lebanon, our neighbors, to the circle of peace and normalization while safeguarding Israel’s essential and security interests,” Sa’ar said.

In May 2025, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharra (also known by his nom de guerre, Mohammed al-Julani) told the Jewish Journal that he does not seek conflict with Israel.

Al-Sharaa emphasized the importance of regional stability, saying that Damascus and Jerusalem share mutual interests.

“I want to be clear,” Al-Sharaa told the outlet. “The era of endless tit-for-tat bombings must end. No nation prospers when its skies are filled with fear. The reality is, [Syria and Israel] have common enemies – and we can play a major role in regional security.”

He added that “peace must be earned through mutual respect, not fear. We will engage where there is honesty and a clear path to coexistence – and walk away from anything less.”