Maariv: More details about the Syrian-Israeli negotiations

The resumption of negotiations between Israel and Syria in Paris resulted in several agreements, including the establishment of a mechanism to prevent miscalculations between the two parties, the implementation of confidence-building measures on both sides, in addition to dealing with the Druze issue in southern Syria, as an internal issue that is being resolved without the use of weapons or any external interference.

The Israeli Maariv newspaper reported that no details have been provided regarding the extent of Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied territories following the fall of the Assad’s regime, noting that the United States has proposed that the two sides establish a joint military base in Jordan and a demilitarized zone on both sides of the border.

According to Maariv, developments in the Syrian arena are accelerating, remarkably, and in light of the violent clashes between the Syrian army and the SDF, especially what is seen as the defeat of the organization, several key points have been highlighted.

It noted that Israeli suspicions of the legitimate government have increased, especially fears that Israel’s vital interests will be threatened if it withdraws from the territories it controls.

The Syrian government’s success against the SDF in the northeast of the country has been met with Israeli concern, especially in light of Türkiye’s achievement and growing concerns about the future of the Druze minority.

Maariv questioned whether these developments mean a decline in the chances of reaching a security agreement between the two countries, considering that this isn’t necessarily, but stressed that these developments have very important repercussions, adding that its necessary to rethink the nature of the recent agreement between the Damascus government and the Kurds, and to determine whether it represents an actual Kurdish surrender, given that this will have a significant impact on the position of the occupying power on the issue of protecting the Druze and Kurdish minorities.

Maariv considered that the Turkish dimension is very important, explaining that understanding the situation of the Kurds in depth helps to understand its implications for Turkish intervention in Syria, noting that the Americans made it clear, on the sidelines of the Paris meeting, that Israel won’t intervene militarily against the Syrian army in the event of an attack on the Kurds, highlighting the pivotal US role between Ankara and Tel Aviv.

The Israeli newspaper said that in the event of a security agreement with Syria, the Israeli political leadership will be required to market it convincingly to the public, pointing out that this agreement doesn’t include the normalization of relations, but is limited to withdrawal from the territories, even though the occupation isn’t supposed to control them in the first place.

Maariv pointed out that the occupation government understands the desire of US President Donald Trump to stabilize the rule of Ahmed al Sharaa in Syria, as well as the influence of the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Türkiye on Trump.

Maariv newspaper pointed out that there are obstacles that still stand in the way of reaching a Syrian-Israeli agreement, considering that they aren’t insurmountable, but that they require improved marketing and a smarter and more realistic approach to Israeli public opinion.

The necessary strategic decision is to determine whether the occupying power is willing to give credit for the establishment of a central government in Damascus and to turn a new page in how the Syrian arena has been viewed since 2011.

Maariv added that the answer in the international arena and the White House is yes, and that this doesn’t contradict Israel’s interests, in light of its safety net that allows it to give credibility to Ahmed al Sharaa and adopt a wise strategy that isn’t based on the principle of profit and loss.