In a major diplomatic turning point, Syria, under the chairmanship of Ahmed al-Charaa, requires that Israel restores a third of the Golan Plateau, as a prerequisite for a peace agreement. “There is no free peace,” said a Syrian source close to the president in i24news, stressing the importance of this concession to reach Syrian public opinion. This request comes as direct discussions between Damascus and Jerusalem, unprecedented for their opening, focus on security and military coordination in southern Syria.
Two scenarios are envisaged for political settlement. The first proposes that Israel keeps a strategic third party from the Golan, restores a third to Syria and rents the last third for 25 years. The second, more ambitious, would see Israel keeping two thirds of the Golan, returning a third to Syria with a rental option, while giving in to Syria the Lebanese city of Tripoli and potentially territories in northern Lebanon and the Bekaa valley. These daring proposals reflect Damascus’s desire to reaffirm its sovereignty while taking into account the strategic imperatives of Israel.
“President Al-Charaa has demonstrated an unprecedented opening,” said the source, noting that the restitution of territories beyond the areas seized by the Israeli army after the fall of the ASSAD regime is crucial to legitimize an agreement to the Syrians. “Without that, Al-Sharaa risks strong internal opposition,” she warned. The source also clarified that the lifting of American sanctions, although welcome, cannot be considered an Israeli counterpart to peace: “This is a distinct question. »»
These negotiations, facilitated by direct communication channels, mark a historic turn in Syrian-Israeli relations. However, the Golan’s question, annexed by Israel in 1981 and recognized by the United States in 2019, remains a major point of friction. The talks, which could redraw regional geopolitics, are closely followed by international actors, while Syria seeks to reposition itself after years of civil war.
