Syria-Israel talks set to resume in high-level summit in Paris amid US pressure

The negotiations between Israel and Syria aimed at a security arrangement and an Israeli withdrawal from Syrian territory are set to resume in Paris this week, after a previous round of talks broke down months ago.

The resumption of direct negotiations came after U.S. President Donald Trump pushed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to approve it in their meeting in Mar-a-Lago last week, Axios reported.

Trump reportedly urged that the negotiations reach a conclusion soon, while Netanyahu stressed Israel’s red lines.

The meetings will be held on Monday and Tuesday in the French capital under mediation from U.S. Special Envoy for Syria, and Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, a source told the Jerusalem Post.

The Trump administration has been pressing Israel and Syria for a deal that would stabilize the tense relations, aiming to further legitimize the new government led by President and former terrorist, Ahmed al-Sharaa, which it is trying to integrate into the U.S.-led regional alliance.

According to the reports, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani will again be participating in the talks. However, his former interlocutor, Ron Dermer, has since left his post as Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister.

Instead, Israel’s delegation will be led by its Ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter, a close confidant of Netanyahu and who media reports suggested would take over part of Dermer’s previous portfolio.

Alongside Leiter, Netanyahu's military adviser Maj.-Gen. Roman Gofman, who has been nominated to become the next Director of the Mossad spy agency, and acting National Security Adviser Gill Reich will join the talks.

However, Ynet News reported that the Israeli delegation won’t have a leader, but that Leiter will be responsible for relations with the U.S., Gofman for security matters, and Reich for diplomatic contacts.

Barrack’s visit to Israel in December also included discussions about how to get negotiations with Syria back on track, the Jerusalem Post said.

At the time, it cited two sources who said that Israel and the U.S. had agreed on Israel’s continued freedom of operation to neutralize emerging threats in Syria, while Israel agreed to renew the negotiations with Syria.

"Each side now understands what it needs to do," one source said.