Trump: Israel must maintain dialogue with Syria and prevent anything that hinders its development

SadaNews - This evening, Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Israel to "maintain a strong and honest dialogue with Syria," warning against any step that might "hinder Syria's development into a prosperous state," amid escalating Israeli aggression against Syria.

Trump stated in remarks published on his platform "Truth Social" that the United States is "very satisfied with the results being presented, through hard work and determination, in Syria."

He added that Washington is "doing everything it can to ensure that the Syrian government continues to carry out what is intended, which is essential for building a real and prosperous state."

He noted that one of the factors that has "helped Syria greatly" is his decision to "end severe and harsh sanctions," stating: "I believe this has been genuinely appreciated by Syria and its leadership and people."

Trump continued: "It is very important for Israel to maintain a strong and honest dialogue with Syria, and that nothing happens that could hinder Syria's development into a prosperous state."

He praised Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, saying he is "working hard to ensure positive outcomes and to forge a long and prosperous relationship between Syria and Israel."

Trump concluded by stating that this represents a "historic opportunity," considering it an addition to the "success already achieved for peace in the Middle East."

"Israeli behavior is an obstacle to a security agreement"

Trump's remarks come in the wake of the Israeli massacre in the town of Beit Jin, south of Damascus, last Friday, which resulted in the martyrdom of 13 civilians and the injury of dozens, along with the ongoing Israeli aggressive attacks on Syria.

The political reporter for the U.S. Axios website and Channel 12 in Israel mentioned that the Trump administration believes Israel's behavior in Syria is harmful to its efforts to push for a security agreement between Damascus and Tel Aviv.

Al-Sharaa receives Trump envoy

Trump's statements coincided with President Al-Sharaa receiving the U.S. special envoy to Syria, Thomas Barak, today, Monday, in Damascus.

Al-Sharaa and Barak discussed "recent developments in the region and matters of mutual interest," with the attendance of Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, according to the Syrian official news agency (SANA).

Al-Sharaa and Barak had met more than four times between May and October, indicating that the relationship between Damascus and Washington has moved to a continuous diplomatic course, supported by Ankara and regional players.

This also represents a continuation of the unprecedented normalization path between Syria and the United States, after many years of estrangement and sanctions. The meeting comes as part of a series of meetings held by the Syrian president with American officials, including his counterpart Donald Trump on November 10.

On November 9, Al-Sharaa traveled to Washington in a historic visit, marking the first by a Syrian president since independence in the 1940s.

The following day, he held a closed meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump that was unprecedented, days after Washington removed Al-Sharaa from the terrorism list.

Trump praised his Syrian counterpart after their talks, stating that the latter's past will help him rebuild his war-torn country. Trump expressed his desire for Syria to achieve "success" following a war lasting over a decade, stating his belief that Al-Sharaa is "capable of achieving this."

After the meeting held away from the media, Trump stated, "He is a very strong leader," adding, "People talk about the harshness of his past; all of our pasts have been harsh... and I genuinely believe you won't have an opportunity unless your past is harsh." Trump continued that Syria is a "big part" of his broader peace plan in the Middle East.

For his part, Al-Sharaa mentioned that his country will not currently negotiate to join the normalization agreements with Israel known as the "Abraham Accords," which involved the UAE, Morocco, and Bahrain.

He added in an interview with Fox News after meeting Trump at the White House: "Our situation is different from that of the signatory countries, as Syria has borders with Israel, which has occupied the Golan Heights since 1967. We will not enter negotiations at the moment, and perhaps President Trump's administration may reach such types of understandings in the future."

This comes as Israeli reports indicate that U.S.-mediated talks aimed at reaching security understandings to end the ongoing Israeli escalation in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime have "reached a dead end."