Israeli Broadcasting Authority: Syrian officials contacted Israeli businessmen and officials to persuade them to invest in their country
Following the historic meeting between President Donald Trump and Syrian transitional President Ahmed al Sharaa in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, sources told the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation that Syrian officials have contacted Israeli businessmen and officials to persuade them to invest in their country.
Reports indicated that the correspondence between these officials aims to establish a commercial basis between Israel and Syria, amid speculation of a normalization of relations between the two sides.
This comes after the unprecedented meeting between the US President and Syrian transitional President Ahmed al Sharaa, attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan via videoconference.
Trump assured the Damascus strongman, whom he described as charismatic and highly ambitious, that he was in the process of lifting US sanctions on his country, subject to several conditions, most notably joining the Abraham Accords.
The former leader of the al Nusra Front (Hay’at Tahrir al Sham) didn’t appear to object to the Republican leader’s conditions, as several sources confirmed to Reuters that al Sharaa, who comes from a jihadist background, has been trying for some time to convey a message to Trump that he won’t pose a threat to Israel.
In the same context, the White House chief called on the Syrian transitional president to expel what he described as “Palestinian terrorists” from his country, a process Damascus appears to have recently begun.
Earlier this month, sources within the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command announced that Syrian authorities had arrested its secretary-general, Talal Naji.
Naji’s arrest came as part of a broad campaign launched by the new regime’s security services in Damascus against prominent Palestinian figures and leaders.
Media sources described it as a response to a series of US demands related to lifting sanctions on Syria, including dismantling Palestinian faction networks linked to the resistance to Israel.
It remains unclear whether the normalization process with Israel will proceed quietly, especially since the lifting of economic sanctions dominated the Trump-Sharaa meeting and occupied the attention of the Syrian people, exhausted by years of civil war.
However, peace with Israel, if achieved, would represent a significant turning point for a country that has long gloried in its Arab identity and has been part of the anti-Tel Aviv axis and the primary arms supply line for armed groups opposed to Israel.
On the other hand, Israel remains concerned about al Sharaa, with senior officials continuing to refer to him as “al Julani,” as do media and cultural circles.
