Washington Times: Controversial request torpedoed Syria-Israel agreement
The Washington Times reported that talks between Syria and Israel, which had seen significant progress toward an agreement referred to by the media as the “Suwayda Roadmap,” faltered in the final moments due to internal disagreements between the two sides, particularly a controversial Israeli request.
The American newspaper explained – in a report regarding the agreement, the main features of which were finalized after multiple rounds of negotiations mediated by the United States, includes several key provisions, most notably the establishment of a buffer zone in southern Syria, a return to the borders of the 1974 disengagement agreement, and the provision of expanded protection for the Druze community in the region.
According to the Washington Times, Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa was expected to formally announce the agreement during the UN General Assembly last September.
However, Israel’s demand to open a humanitarian corridor to the Druze-majority province of Suwayda led to the collapse of efforts to announce the agreement.
The report believes that this Israeli request stems from internal concerns regarding the Druze community, which numbers over 100,000 citizens within Israel.
Observers believe that the Israeli government is seeking to appease these citizens by emphasizing its commitment to protecting the Druze in Syria, amid the ongoing internal conflict there.
However, strategic experts have warned that the proposed humanitarian corridor is impractical from a security standpoint because it must pass through Dara’a Governorate, a Sunni-majority area, leaving convoys vulnerable to potential attacks by hostile groups.
Although the Sharaa government has demonstrated a clear desire to conclude an agreement, Sharaa’s past as a leader in the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front raises serious concerns for Israel, which doubts Sharaa will abandon his jihadist background.
On the Syrian side, the popular political landscape in the country has changed following the fall of the regime of ousted Syrian President Bashar al Assad.
While Iran was considered the greatest enemy in the eyes of Syrians, recent Israeli actions in Gaza and its continued occupation of the Golan Heights have deepened popular hatred toward Israel, according to recent polls.
However, reports indicate that the Syrian government is taking a pragmatic approach and appears willing to move forward with the agreement regardless of domestic public opinion, in order to achieve political stability and reshape Syria’s regional position.
Charles Lister, director of the Syria Initiative at the Middle East Institute, confirms that Syria has indeed agreed to the agreement, making significant concessions that would previously have been considered unpopular.
However, despite this progress, the issue of official recognition of Israel remains elusive.
Sharaa told US officials that Syria differs from the Arab states that signed the Abraham Accords due to the continued Israeli occupation of Syrian territory in the Golan Heights.
Ultimately, observers believe the ball is now in Israel’s court: either Israel chooses the diplomatic path and signs the agreement, or it continues its policy of weakening Syria and maintaining its state of division and chaos, despite pressure from the US administration to take the former option, according to Lister.
