Ahmad al-Sharaa reveals direct Syria-Israel negotiations

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa revealed that Damascus has been engaged in direct negotiations with Israel for approximately one year. Speaking at an Atlantic Council event in New York during the UN General Assembly, al-Sharaa stated that previous discussions had reached nearly “90% of understandings” before Israel reportedly retreated by introducing additional conditions.

Al-Sharaa emphasized that the Golan Heights is Syrian territory and is not subject to negotiation or compromise. He asserted that no Syrian or American president has the authority to cede the land. He outlined Syria's primary diplomatic priority: the withdrawal of Israeli forces from territories seized following the fall of the previous regime in December 2024, returning to the 1974 disengagement lines before discussing security arrangements or a permanent peace.

Regarding his relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, al-Sharaa described it as “special” and praised the decision to lift sanctions on Syria as a historic step. He recounted a joke made during a previous meeting at the White House, where he suggested that if Trump wished to grant land to Israel, he should give them New Jersey instead of the Golan Heights, noting that Trump “does not own the Golan to give it.”