Syria-Israel talks reportedly intensify as Trump asks Sharaa to normalize: What to know
Following President Donald Trump’s call for Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to join the Abraham Accords, multiple contacts have reportedly taken place between Israeli and Syrian officials.
Israel is reportedly conducting secret talks with the new Syrian government and engaged in two indirect channels of negotiations as Washington intensifies its push to bring Syria into the Abraham Accords by normalizing ties with the Jewish state.
What happened: The first, more formal track involves talks with Turkish counterparts, reportedly taking place in Baku under Azerbaijani auspices. Israeli diplomatic sources confirmed last week that these talks included official Israeli representatives.
The second, less formal channel was initiated by senior Emirati officials. It involves former Israeli security officials and academics, rather than serving government figures. Both Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates have open ties with Israel.
Sources told Al-Monitor's Ben Caspit last week that shortly after Sharaa visited the UAE last month, an unofficial meeting between Syrian and Israeli delegations took place at an Abu Dhabi villa owned by an Emirati government official.
