Netanyahu set to name new envoy for Syria talks: Report
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- ‘Israel’ is set to appoint a new representative for indirect security talks with Syria after Ron Dermer’s resignation.
- Washington is pressing to revive negotiations amid rising tensions in southern Syria.
'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to inform the United States within days of his choice for a new envoy to lead negotiations with Syria, replacing former strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer, according to ‘Israeli’ media reports.
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Netanyahu raised the issue during a recent meeting with US envoy Tom Barrack, signaling that a formal appointment is imminent after weeks of uncertainty over who would manage the sensitive file, according to Channel 12.
Talks stalled after resignation
Dermer, who stepped down in mid-November, had overseen four rounds of indirect discussions focused on a potential security arrangement with Damascus. Those talks, the channel reported, came to a halt shortly after his resignation.
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US officials had initially assumed Dermer might continue handling the negotiations in an informal capacity as a special envoy. A senior American official later told Channel 12 that Netanyahu clarified Dermer would no longer be involved and that a replacement would be named soon.
Security background expected
Given that the talks center on border security, Netanyahu is expected to appoint a figure with a strong security background, possibly someone currently serving within the ‘Israeli’ defense establishment.
Channel 12 also reported that one aim of Netanyahu’s meeting with Barrack was to ease tensions and clear misunderstandings between ‘Israel’ and Syria. US officials were quoted as saying that effort had largely succeeded.
Rising friction on the ground
The diplomatic maneuvering comes as ‘Israeli’ military operations in southern Syria have intensified in recent weeks, with near-daily incursions, arrests, checkpoints, and the destruction of wooded areas. The actions have fueled public anger in the region.
In late November, 13 Syrians were killed in an ‘Israeli’ airstrike on the town of Beit Jinn near Damascus following a brief ground incursion and clashes with local residents, according to Syrian accounts.
US concerns and Syrian stance
The Trump administration believes Netanyahu’s policies are destabilizing Syria and undermining US efforts to support the government of President Ahmad al-Sharaa and reach a new security understanding between Damascus and ‘Israel’.
Earlier this month, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said Damascus could not pursue a security deal while ‘Israel’ continues to occupy additional Syrian territory.
After the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024, ‘Israel’ declared the 1974 disengagement agreement void and moved into the Syrian buffer zone. Syrian officials say ongoing violations are hampering stability and complicating efforts to revive the country’s economy.
