TEL AVIV — As talks between Israel and Syria on a security arrangement face hurdles, Israel hopes that Monday's meeting in Washington between Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and President Donald Trump could usher a breakthrough. 

"American involvement in the Israel-Syria talks is certainly a game changer," Carmit Valensi, a senior researcher at the Israeli Institute for National Security Studies, told Al-Monitor. 

According to Valensi, while talks have hit a snag in recent weeks, the Trump administration continues to pressure both sides to reach a deal. She said, "We have seen in Gaza what pressure by Trump can achieve, which is why it seems possible for Israel to reach an agreement with Syria by the end of the year." Trump is also expected to pressure Sharaa at the White House. 

"Sharaa's visit to Washington is part of the American efforts to reach a deal soon," said Valensi. The Americans like what they see happening in Syria, she added. "Trump wants Syria stabilized, not only because of the regional impact, but also because it would enable him in the long run to withdraw American troops from the country," she noted. According to the US Department of Defense, there are approximately 2,000 American troops on Syrian soil, mostly in the north of the country.