Former Israeli intelligence chief: Sharaa and Shaibani are taking advantage of Tom Barrack naivety who believes everything they tell him
Former Israeli intelligence chief Hanan Geffen has cast doubt on the feasibility of US efforts in Syria led by envoy Tom Barrack, following reports of a possible security agreement between Syria and Israel.
In an interview with the Israeli i24 News, Geffen said, “Barrack doesn’t know what he’s doing, and Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa and his foreign minister, Shaibani, are making fun of him for believing everything they say”.
He added, ” Barrack has adopted Damascus’s position as if it were seeking peace with everyone, while its true goal is to repeal the Caesar Act,” noting that the US envoy is ignoring key issues within Syria and is accompanying Syrian officials to Washington only to confront sanctions.
Geffen also noted that Sharaa and Shaibani view Barrack as a “naive American who can be exploited for political gain”.
Worth noting that, Israel had presented Syria with a detailed security proposal extending from southwest Damascus to the border, replacing the 1974 disengagement agreement, which has become irrelevant following recent military and political changes.
According to the report, the Israeli proposal is based on the experience of the 1979 peace agreement with Egypt, and includes:
- Establishing a wide demilitarized zone within Syrian territory.
- Imposing a no-fly zone for Syrian aircraft from southern Damascus to the border.
- Dividing the area into three circles in which varying levels of Syrian forces are allowed.
- Extending the buffer zone by an additional 2 kilometers inside Syrian territory.
- Preventing the deployment of military forces or heavy weapons along the border strip, while allowing the presence of police and internal security forces.
- In return, Israel proposes a gradual withdrawal from the territories it recently occupied, with the exception of a strategic site on the summit of Mount Hermon.
Although the negotiations have shown progress, according to sources, an agreement does not appear imminent.
