Will Syria make peace with Israel - without demanding the Golan Heights?

US Congressman (R-IN) Marlin Stutzman, who met with Syrian President Ahmad "Julani" a-Sharaa in recent days, said that Syria is interested in entering into peace negotiations with Israel and even joining the Abraham Accords in the right conditions, according to a report today (Thursday) by i24 News.

Stutzman said that Julani is "open" to joining the Abraham Accords and that he is willing to negotiate such an agreement on three conditions: that Israel stop bombing suspected terrorist targets and old Syrian weapons in Syria, maintain the "territorial integrity" of Syria, and reach an "arrangement" regarding Israel's presence in southern Syria.

If this report is correct, then the Syrian President at least wants to appear serious about maintaining good relations with Israel, and is even vague about whether he wants Israel to retreat entirely from southern Syria and even the Golan Heights, though his reference to "territorial integrity" may imply that he has not given up that goal.

Israel has officially remained suspicious of if not outright hostile to the new government. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has accused it of remaining true to its terrorist and fundamentalist roots, and all senior members of the government have said that the IDF intends to remain in southern Syria for the foreseeable future until the situation in Syria "stabilizes."