Senior Syrian and Israeli officials will meet on Monday in Paris to resume negotiations on a new security agreement, according to an Israeli official and another source with knowledge.
Why it matters: The Trump administration is pressing both Israel and Syria for a deal that would stabilize the security situation on their border and potentially be the first step toward future diplomatic normalization.
- That effort has been led by President Trump's Syria envoy Tom Barrack, who will mediate the new round of negotiations.
- The talks are expected to take place over two days, with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani participating opposite a new group of Israeli negotiators.
Driving the news: This will be the fifth round of talks, but the first in nearly two months.
- The talks were on hold due to the big gaps between the parties but also because of the resignation of Israel's top negotiator, Ron Dermer.
- The goal is a security pact that includes the de-militarization of southern Syria and Israeli withdrawal from the parts of Syria it occupied after the collapse of the Assad regime.
Behind the scenes: The resumption of talks is the direct result of a request from President Trump to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when they met last Monday in Mar-a-Lago, according to the source with knowledge.
- Trump said negotiations must continue in order to reach a deal soon. Netanyahu agreed but stressed any deal must preserve Israel's red lines, the Israeli official said.
- "We do have an understanding regarding Syria. I'm sure that Israel and [Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara] will get along. I will try and make it so that they do get along, I think they will," Trump said after his meeting with Netanyahu.
- Netanyahu said after the meeting that it is in Israel's interest to have a peaceful border with Syria and protect the Druze minority in the country.
Zoom in: Ahead of the meeting in Paris, Netanyahu appointed a new negotiating team headed by Ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter, a close Netanyahu confidant.
- Also expected to participate are Netanyahu's military adviser General Roman Gofman, who has been nominated to lead the Mossad spy agency, and Netanyahu's acting national security adviser Gill Reich.
- The Israeli embassy in Washington declined to comment.
