Israel’s “Circle of Peace” Seeks to Include Syria, Lebanon, Says Saar

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced on Monday that Israel is eager to expand its “circle of peace and normalisation” to include Syria and Lebanon, its long-standing adversaries. This diplomatic outreach is predicated on the belief that Iran’s influence has waned following the recent 12-day war, creating a window for other regional nations to engage with Israel.
However, Saar made it unequivocally clear that the status of the Golan Heights, annexed by Israel in 1981 after being captured from Syria in 1967, is not open for discussion. While President Donald Trump recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, the international community largely considers it occupied Syrian land, setting up an immediate point of contention.
The initiative to draw Syria and Lebanon into diplomatic ties follows the precedent set by the 2020 Abraham Accords, which normalized relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco. These agreements, while significant breakthroughs, were met with considerable public disapproval across the Arab world, underscoring the delicate balance required for such regional shifts.
Conversely, a senior Syrian official anonymously asserted that any normalization efforts must strictly adhere to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative. This initiative proposes full Arab recognition of Israel in exchange for its 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, Gideon Saar, dismissed the Palestinian statehood precondition as “not constructive,” citing security concerns, thereby highlighting a fundamental impasse.