Netanyahu, Syrian Leader to Meet in D.C. for Landmark Peace Talks Backed by Trump

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is poised to meet Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Washington, D.C., in September 2025, just before the UN General Assembly, in what could be a transformative moment for Israel-Syria relations. The summit, reported by i24NEWS, aims to explore a security agreement that could lay the groundwork for normalization, potentially aligning with the Abraham Accords framework that normalized ties between Israel and several Arab states in 2020. This follows months of discreet backchannel talks between Jerusalem and Damascus, mediated by the United Arab Emirates, amid a shifting Middle East landscape after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

The talks are driven by U.S. efforts to reshape regional diplomacy, with President Donald Trump, who lifted sanctions on Syria in July 2025 to support its new leadership, reportedly encouraging al-Sharaa to pursue peace with Israel. A Syrian source close to al-Sharaa described the meeting as “the first formal step toward normalization between the two long-standing adversaries,” highlighting its potential to alter regional dynamics. However, a major sticking point is Syria’s demand for Israel to withdraw from areas of the Golan Heights seized in December 2024, following Assad’s ouster, to secure the border against Islamist threats. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has firmly stated, “The Golan will remain part of the State of Israel,” citing security concerns, including the risk posed by al-Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group with al-Qaeda roots, despite its recent moderate posturing.

Israeli officials express cautious optimism, noting al-Sharaa’s steps to distance Syria from Iran and Hamas, such as expelling Palestinian Islamic Jihad leaders in May 2025. Yet, they remain wary of his control over armed factions and demand guarantees against Islamist threats. The summit, hosted by Trump, could leverage U.S. support to broker a deal, potentially including Syrian recognition of Israel and defined security arrangements in southern Syria. Netanyahu’s broader U.S. visit, including talks with Trump on July 8, 2025, underscores the alignment, with a senior Israeli official noting, “There is absolutely an aspiration to expand the Abraham Accords, and it’s no secret that we want to see Syria in this.”