Israel-Syria Peace Would Help Puncture Pariah-State Myth

Hopes rise for Jerusalem-Damascus deal; Palestinian population could help al-Sharaa with re-Sunnification

A U.S. government poster from 2017 depicts the person who is the current leader of Syria. He is edging closer to an agreement formalizing ties with Israel.

Expectations are rising for a possible deal between Israel and Syria, an agreement that could be advanced as early as this week with a potential meeting between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Ahmed al-Sharaa in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

Among the signs that the two sides are closing in on a deal:

•On September 21, at the opening of his cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said, “Our victories in Lebanon against Hezbollah have opened a window for a possibility that couldn't have even been imagined prior to our latest operations and activity, and that is the possibility of peace with our neighbors to the North. We are holding talks with the Syrians, and there is some progress, but that vision is yet for an appointed time.”

•A September 17 statement from “Members of the Good Will Jewish Mission to Syria” — Rabbi Asher Lopatin of Etz Chayim Synagogue in Oak Park, Michigan; Rabbi Mendy Chuitrik of the Ashkenazi Jewish community of Turkey and chairman of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, and Carl Gershman, the founding president of the U.S. National Endowment for Democracy (1984-2021) — expressed hope about what it called “a new beginning” and “the government’s cooperation with neighboring countries.”

•A September 21 readout of a phone call between Secretary of State Rubio and Saudi Foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said, “The Secretary and the Foreign Minister discussed Syria and Sudan, along with efforts to secure the return of the hostages from Gaza, address urgent humanitarian needs, and ensure Hamas plays no role in the future of Gaza.”

Here’s some of what would be in such a deal, and why it would be appealing to the U.S., to Israel, and to Syria’s leader: