The narratives surrounding normalization are sharply divided, with Israel’s vision for ties with Syria and Lebanon clashing with core Arab demands. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar expressed interest on Monday, but his insistence on the non-negotiable Golan Heights directly opposes the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which Syria and others uphold as the framework for peace.
Israel’s push for new diplomatic relationships is framed by a belief that Iran’s recent weakening, particularly after the 12-day war, creates an opening for new alliances. This strategy comes amid a turbulent period for the Middle East, marked by the Gaza conflict, Israeli operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the overthrow of Iran-backed Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
Saar emphasized Israel’s desire to incorporate Syria and Lebanon into the “circle of peace” while safeguarding its security interests. This aligns with a pattern of expanding diplomatic reach, following the 2020 Abraham Accords that saw the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco establish ties with Israel, albeit to widespread public disapproval in the Arab world.
However, a senior Syrian official made it clear that normalization efforts must be integrated into the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which calls for Israeli withdrawal from all occupied territories, including the Golan Heights, West Bank, and Gaza, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Israel’s Foreign Minister, however, dismissed conditioning normalization on Palestinian statehood as “not constructive,” asserting that it would “threaten the security of the State of Israel,” illustrating the deep ideological chasm between these normalization narratives.