Syrian President Taunts Israel: “It Must Withdraw - Trump Supports Us”

Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa said in an interview published Tuesday night by The Washington Post that his country is holding direct negotiations with Israel, but that a final security agreement would only be achieved if Israel returns to its borders prior to December 8, when it seized the buffer zone in Syria following the collapse of the Assad regime.

Al-Sharaa added, “Since December 8, Israel has carried out more than 1,000 airstrikes in Syria, including the bombing of the presidential palace and the defense ministry. Because we are focused on rebuilding Syria, we have not responded to this aggression. Israel’s progress in Syria does not stem from security concerns but from its expansionist ambitions.”

He continued, “Israel has always claimed to fear Syria due to threats from Iranian militias and Hezbollah. But we were the ones who expelled those forces from Syria.”

During the interview, Al-Sharaa stressed that Syria has made “significant progress” in negotiations but that an agreement will only come if Israel withdraws from the occupied territories. “The United States is with us in these talks, and many international actors support our position,” he said. “Today we learned that President Trump also supports it and will push as quickly as possible toward a solution.”

When asked if Syria would agree to demilitarize the area south of Damascus, Al-Sharaa replied, “It’s difficult to talk about a completely demilitarized zone, if chaos breaks out there, who will defend it? If that area becomes a launching point for attacks on Israel, who will be responsible?”

“At the end of the day, this is Syrian territory, and Syria must have the freedom to manage its own land,” he said, adding a jab at Israel: “They captured the Golan Heights to defend themselves, and now they’re imposing their conditions in southern Syria to defend the Golan. In a few years, maybe they’ll capture central Syria to defend the south. They’ll reach Munich this way.”

Meeting with Trump

Al-Sharaa met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House two days earlier. Unlike Trump’s meetings with other world leaders, this one was not photographed at the main entrance, Al-Sharaa was only seen through the fence, entering through a side gate. Reporters were not allowed into the Oval Office to cover the start of the meeting.

“I get along with him. I’m confident this Syrian president is fit for the job,” Trump said at a press conference afterward. “We want to see Syria succeed, and I think he can do it. His past is problematic, but everyone’s past is problematic. He has a great relationship with Turkey and President Erdoğan, who’s a strong leader. Syria is an important part of the Middle East. We’re working for Israel and Syria to reach an agreement, and it’s going very well.”

After the meeting, Al-Sharaa spoke to Fox News, clarifying that Syria will not currently enter direct talks with Israel to join the Abraham Accords, though he did not rule out doing so in the future with U.S. mediation.

“Syria’s situation is different from that of the countries that joined the Abraham Accords,” he explained. “We share a border with Israel, and Israel has held the Golan Heights since 1967. We won’t begin direct negotiations right now, but perhaps the American administration and President Trump will help us reach that stage.”