Syrian Foreign Minister Meets Israeli Minister in Paris Under American Sponsorship

SadaNews - A historic meeting took place in Paris yesterday, Thursday, between Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shibani and Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, according to a high-level diplomatic source who spoke to the French press agency and U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Brooklyn.

Brooklyn stated in a post on X last night, "I met the Syrians and Israelis tonight in Paris." For his part, a high-level diplomatic source who requested anonymity indicated that the meeting between the Syrian and Israeli ministers was "facilitated by" the U.S. envoy.

In his post on X, Brooklyn said, "Our goal was dialogue and de-escalation, and that is exactly what we achieved. All parties renewed their commitment to continue these efforts," referring to the bloody sectarian clashes that recently occurred in southern Syria, resulting in the deaths of over 1,200 people in just one week.

The clashes erupted in the Druze-majority province of Sweida on July 13 between local armed groups and others from the Bedouins, quickly escalating into violent confrontations involving government forces and tribal fighters, during which Israel conducted strikes on official buildings in Damascus and military targets in Sweida. The U.S. envoy and the Syrian minister are scheduled to meet with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Friday morning, according to a source in the French Foreign Ministry.

After the ousting of Bashar al-Assad's regime last December, the transitional Syrian authorities announced that they did not wish to enter into conflict with their neighbors.

A meeting occurred between Syrian and Israeli officials on July 12 in Baku, during the visit of the transitional Syrian president Ahmad al-Shara to Azerbaijan, according to a diplomatic source in Damascus familiar with the talks between the two countries.