US President Donald Trump’s point man for Syria and Turkey appeared to knock Israel’s strategy in dealing with those countries on Friday, arguing that Jerusalem’s view of Damascus and Ankara as adversaries, rather than potential partners, was a strategic mistake.

Barrack, who serves as both US special envoy on Syria and as US ambassador to Turkey, claimed that Syria is interested in normalizing ties with Israel, and that Turkey can play a constructive role in the postwar rehabilitation of Gaza. He also appeared to question the depth of Israel’s ties to Druze communities in Syria, and to say that concern about global antisemitism is overstated.

During an onstage interview at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum, the US diplomat said that Syria’s new government, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, hasn’t fired a shot at Israel since Sharaa’s forces ousted longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.

Sharaa “has said time and time again that there are no issues with Israel. ‘We don’t want an adversarial issue with Israel. We don’t want to be at war with Israel. We want to work towards a non-aggression agreement and a normalization,'” Barrack said.

Israel has held several rounds of negotiations with Sharaa’s government, and the Syrian leader indicated this week at the Antalya Forum that the door to talks is still open, though he also accused Israel of acting with “brutality” and insisted on Syria’s claim to the Golan Heights.

He has given mixed signals as to whether he’s open to a normalization deal, saying at one point that “Syria is different” from Gulf states that normalized ties with Israel in 2020, because Israel and Syria are neighbors and Israeli troops have invaded his country.

Sharaa is an Islamist leader who was formerly affiliated with al-Qaeda, and Israel has viewed his rule skeptically. Israeli troops entered southern Syria following Assad’s ouster, and established a buffer zone in which it has stationed soldiers at several locations near the border. It has defended the move as necessary to protect its population from rogue militant actors.

Israel also intervened militarily last year after........

© The Times of Israel