Syria moving towards normalization with Israel? Signs point to growing cooperation after war with Iran

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to travel to Washington, D.C., in order to promote a hostage-ceasefire deal and normalization with Syria, Israel’s Channel 12 News reported on Friday. 

The report comes amid growing optimism in the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump that an end to the Gaza War could be near, along with a deal to release the remaining hostages. 

Prime Minister Netanyahu remarked in a video released on Thursday evening that "the victory in Iran opens the door to the expansion of the peace agreements, the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas.” 

Netanyahu said, "We fought hard against Iran – and we achieved a great victory. This victory opens up an opportunity for a dramatic expansion of the peace agreements. We are working on this diligently. Alongside the release of our hostages and the defeat of Hamas, there is a window of opportunity here that must not be missed. You can't waste even one day.” 

Axios reported on Thursday that Netanyahu is planning a visit to Washington, D.C. as part of “a victory party after the war with Iran.” 

According to the report, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Netanyahu would like to visit in the coming weeks, but that no date had been set. 

She also said that U.S. President Donald Trump hopes to use the Iran victory to expand the Abraham Accords, specifically mentioning Syria. 

"The president is certainly hopeful that more countries in the region will sign on to the Abraham Accords," Leavitt stated.

"When the president met with the new president of Syria [Ahmed al-Sharaa], that was one of the requests that he made; for Syria to sign on to the Abraham Accords," she continued. 

"We want to see a long withstanding endurable peace in the Middle East and that's the way to do it," she said. "I don't have a timeline for you, but this administration wants to see that happen and our partners in the region should know that.” 

The reports come as Hebrew news sites revealed the quiet cooperation between Israel and Syria during Operation Rising Lion, when the Syrian leader al-Sharaa allowed Israel to fly through its airspace. 

Last week, Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi said, “There is direct daily dialogue at all levels between Israel and the regime in Syria,” saying, “I am leading it with political officials there.” 

The optimism over Syria appears to be shared by others in the Trump administration. 

U.S. Middle East special envoy, Steve Witkoff, stated on Wednesday that the United States hopes to have “some pretty big announcements” about the Abraham Accords soon. 

“We think we are going to have some pretty big announcements on countries that are coming into the Abraham peace accords," Witkoff told CNBC during an interview. "We are hoping for normalisation across an array of countries that maybe people would have never contemplated would come in.” 

Witkoff’s remarks came around the same time a new billboard was unveiled in Tel Aviv, featuring Trump, Netanyahu, and a group of Arab leaders alongside the slogan: “The Abraham Alliance: It’s time for a new Middle East.”

In May, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that the administration expects to expand the Abraham Accords peace agreements this year. 

“I think we may have good news – certainly before the end of this year – of a number of more countries that are willing to join that alliance,” Rubio stated. 

On Thursday, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, chairman of the Religious Zionism party, cautioned against any agreement that would lead to “a Palestinian terror state.”

Saying the expansion of the Abraham Accords is a wonderful thing, Smotrich stressed that “if this is a shiny cover for an existential threat in the form of dividing the land, handing over territories to the enemy, and establishing a Palestinian terror state, then no thanks.” 

Smotrich addressed Netanyahu directly, saying: “Mr. Prime Minister, let it be clear that you have no mandate. Not even by hint or lip service. If there are countries that want peace in exchange for peace – so be it. If they want a Palestinian state, let them forget about it. It won't happen.”