Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said the security framework in direct talks with Israel had taken shape to about 90%, but that Israel later withdrew from the process or presented new conditions.
Speaking at an Atlantic Council panel in New York, Sharaa said the sides had held several rounds of negotiations. He said Israel withdrew from the agreement at a certain stage of the talks for various reasons, adding that diplomacy and negotiations remained the preferred path.
Damascus's security and sovereignty conditions
Sharaa said Israel had continued its attacks and operations against Syria since the previous government was overthrown, established control over new areas, and carried out raids, detentions and bombardments inside the country.
Sharaa said the security and rights of Syrians had to be protected before peace could be discussed, adding that direct talks with Israel had begun about a year earlier.
Sharaa said the Damascus administration wanted Israel to withdraw to its 1974 lines before security arrangements were addressed. He added that permanent peace could be discussed if those arrangements succeeded.
No negotiations over the Golan Heights
Sharaa said the United Nations recognized the Golan Heights as Syrian territory and that ownership of the region could not be negotiated.
Sharaa also proposed establishing an international committee to examine Israel's security concerns. He said the committee could distinguish between perception-based factors and genuine concerns among the reasons cited for security measures.
Responding to a question about the U.S. administration's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, Sharaa recounted a joke from his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. Sharaa said he told Trump that New Jersey could be given to Israel, but that the Golan Heights could not be transferred to Israel because they did not belong to Trump.
Foreign military presence in Syria
Responding to a question about the foreign military presence in Syria, Sharaa said the number of Russia's bases in the country had fallen from around 170 to two. He said the two remaining bases had been converted into training centers for the Syrian army.
He said Türkiye's bases in northwestern Syria were also moving toward a legal status with the approval of the People's Assembly.
Response to a question about September 11
Responding to a question from Brett McGurk, former U.S. President Joe Biden's Middle East coordinator, about the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Sharaa said he was 13 years old when the attacks occurred and had no involvement in them.
Sharaa said he was saddened by those who lost their lives in the United States and the Middle East, adding that he had been completely removed from the events of that period.
