US envoy: Syria may reach normalisation deal with Israel sooner than Lebanon

US Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack has suggested that Syria could move toward a non-aggression and normalisation agreement with Israel sooner than Lebanon, praising what he described as a shift in regional dynamics under Syria’s current leadership.

Speaking at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Barrack said Syria under the current administration has avoided direct military confrontation with Israel. He added that Israel’s approach toward southern Syria is shaped by perceived ties between communities across the border, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media. 

US Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack:

Syria under the al-Sharaa regime has never fired a shot at Israel, quite the opposite.

Israel has taken the point of view that the Druze in southern Israel and along the Syrian border are actually cousins of Israel.

Netanyahu doesn’t care… pic.twitter.com/8dHyTtmTf5

— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 17, 2026

“Israel has taken the point of view that the Druze in southern Israel and along the Syrian border are actually cousins of Israel. Netanyahu doesn’t care about borders. He doesn’t care about boundaries.Syria has been brilliant and not engaging adversarially against Israel. There’s no purpose in it. They have, time and time again, said we’re available to talk," he said. 

According to Barrack, Syria’s leadership has demonstrated patience in managing multiple regional pressures across several fronts. He expressed optimism about the possibility of future diplomatic progress between Syria and Israel.

“My bet is, we’ll get to a non-aggression and normalization agreement with Syria sooner than Lebanon," he added. 

Barrack also commented more broadly on regional leadership, praising both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Netanyahu in different contexts.

“President Erdogan is an amazing leader, and Netanyahu is doing what he thinks is best for his country.”

He emphasised the role of power in shaping political outcomes in the Middle East.

“This part of the world respects only one thing: power. And if you don’t reflect power, if you reflect weakness, you are on your heels. Syria is a great example of that.”

Barrack said Syria’s current trajectory is linked to what he described as strong leadership and regional positioning, while also pointing to Türkiye’s role in the evolving situation.

“Why is Syria working? Because you have a powerful, strong, courageous leader that people may not have agreed with, whatever the points of views were in the past—but they see him leading someplace.”

“And Syria is an experiment alongside Türkiye, which is allowing them to do it.
Türkiye, which happens to be the only real economy in the middle of this very complicated region, is a real nation.”

By Sabina Mammadli