Former ambassador casts doubt on status of Syria-Israel security agreement

Israel and Syria are much further away from reaching a deal than it appears, according to a former ambassador who suggested that stable peace between Damascus and Jerusalem may be a far way off.

Speaking at a Middle East Institute event on Wednesday, Barbara Leaf, who under President Biden was assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs and an ambassador to Syria, said Israel’s actions have consistently hurt peace prospects over the past year.

“It does not feel to me that we are close,” said Ms. Leaf, who was the first U.S. diplomat to visit Syria after the fall of President Bashar Assad’s regime. “And Israel continues to do things to inspire ugly feelings in the public you don’t want.”

Israel and Syria have been engaged in U.S.-brokered negotiations for months, with Washington and Damascus hoping to establish a security agreement between the two countries that would create a buffer zone in Syria’s southern territories.

U.S. special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack and the commander of U.S. Central Command, Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, have been deeply involved in the negotiations.

Ms. Leaf added that the U.S. should continue pressuring Israel during ongoing talks in the hopes that Jerusalem will get behind President Trump’s agenda of supporting Syria during its rebuilding period.

Reports earlier this year indicated that the two sides were close to an agreement and were planning on finalizing the deal at the U.N. General Assembly in September.

However, Israeli negotiators reportedly laid out last-minute demands, including a massive security corridor in Syria’s southern province and full diplomatic relations, that were nonstarters.

Israel has also ruled out leaving the Golan Heights, which the country has controlled since 1967.

On Wednesday, Mr. Barrack urged Jerusalem to come to the table and insisted that Syria has no aggressive intentions toward Israel.

“You cannot fight and attack every country that surrounds you,” Mr. Barrack told Israeli TV network i24News. “Syria understands that its future depends on a security agreement and a border fence with Israel, and its incentive is not aggression toward Israel.”

Robert S. Ford, who was the last U.S. ambassador to Syria before its civil war broke out, added that the U.S. should strengthen its diplomatic presence in Syria to support reunification efforts.

He added that Syrians should be capable of creating a stable nation themselves.

The remarks from former U.S. ambassadors come as Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa looks to ease relations with his neighbors and solidify his rule one year after the fall of the Assad government.

Since coming to power last December, Mr. al-Sharaa has insisted that Syria does not want Israel as its enemy and has opened the door to U.S.-backed negotiations to reestablish the 1974 borders under a new security agreement.

The Israeli army stormed across the Syrian border after the fall of the Assad government in December 2024 and declared the 1974 border agreement voided. Since then, Israeli forces have established enclaves in southern Syria from which they have launched several incursions in 2025.

Israeli leaders have expressed skepticism about Mr. al-Sharaa, who previously was the leader of a Syrian-based al-Qaida affiliate. Over the past year, Israel has launched more than 1,000 airstrikes in the country and over 400 ground incursions.

Jerusalem has insisted that the operations are intended to protect Druze minority members in Syria’s southern Sweida province, eliminate terrorists and seize weapons that threaten Israel’s security.

The attacks have frustrated President Trump, who is looking to reestablish strong relations with Syria and assist Mr. al-Sharaa in his attempts to rebuild the country and solidify his rule.