US Ambassador to Turkey and Syria Tom Barrack hailed the outcome of talks between Israeli and Syrian official as a "breakthrough" in comments given to The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
“The outcome of the meeting reflects a strong and mutual desire to move from denial to genuine cooperation and shared prosperity. Both sides are committed to a new relationship based on transparency and partnership - one that heals the regrets of the past and accelerates a collaborative future,” Barrack said.
The American envoy made these remarks following a multi-hour meeting between senior Israeli and Syrian officials, mediated by senior US representatives.
Representing Israel were Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military secretary Roman Gofman, and acting National Security Council head Gil Reich. Representing Syria were Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani and Intelligence chief Hussein Salameh.
On the American side, those present included envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Tom Barrack, the US envoy for Syria and ambassador to Turkey.
Progress made in Israel-Syria discussions, sources tell 'Post'
The parties discussed at length a potential security agreement between Syria and Israel - an objective both countries have been pursuing under US auspices since the fall of the Assad regime. Two sources familiar with the details told the Post that progress has been made in these discussions.
“The new Syrian government has made it unequivocally clear that it harbors no hostile intentions toward Israel and instead seeks a relationship based on respect and coexistence. Israel, for its part, is eager to build ties with the leadership of this longtime neighbor and appreciates that the old hostile regime has been replaced by one committed to cooperation and a new paradigm,” Barrack told the Post.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Israel, Syria, and the United States agreed to establish a joint intelligence-sharing mechanism - a dedicated communications cell - to enable immediate and ongoing coordination, intelligence sharing, de-escalation of military tensions, and US-supervised diplomatic engagement. The mechanism is intended to serve as a platform for swiftly addressing disputes and preventing misunderstandings. It will operate from a base in a third country, neither Syria nor Israel, and will be permanently staffed by Syrian, Israeli, and American representatives, some of whom will participate virtually.
In addition, as first reported by the Post, the trilateral meeting concluded with an agreement to initiate talks between Jerusalem and Damascus on civilian issues as well, including healthcare, energy, and agriculture. Barrack told the Post that “under the leadership and inspiration of President Trump, prioritizing economic opportunities, prosperity, and open dialogue consistently leads to meaningful and long-term cooperation.”
This marks the first time Israel and Syria have agreed to discuss civilian matters, rather than focusing exclusively on efforts to reach a security agreement.
Various sources described the meeting as constructive and highly positive, emphasizing that progress has been made, while also cautioning that “many issues are still in the early stages, and much work remains.”