From hostility to opportunity: Syria eyes Israeli markets

In a significant, if understated, turn of events, senior Syrian officials and business figures have recently initiated contact with Israeli entrepreneurs, seeking to encourage investment in the war-ravaged country.

The outreach follows President Donald Trump’s surprise decision to lift all U.S. sanctions on the Syrian regime—a policy shift that stunned both allies and adversaries.

According to sources familiar with the overtures, the initial conversations are described as “tentative feelers,” aimed at laying the groundwork for future economic cooperation. This marks the first time such direct efforts have been made by Damascus since the outbreak of Syria’s civil war in 2011.

The diplomatic overture coincided with a historic meeting held on the sidelines of a regional summit in Saudi Arabia, where President Trump met Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. 

It was the first encounter between leaders of the two nations in a quarter of a century. A White House statement confirmed that Trump raised the issue of normalizing ties with Israel, urging al-Sharaa to consider joining the Abraham Accords.

Observers noted that Trump also demanded the expulsion of Palestinian militant groups from Syrian territory and pledged that the U.S. would work to prevent a resurgence of ISIS in the region. 

An Israeli official, speaking anonymously, described the developments as “an opportunity for Syria to demonstrate that the new leadership’s intentions diverge sharply from Bashar al-Assad’s legacy.”

Still, caution prevails in Jerusalem. “If Syria attempts to reposition military assets in the south or allows hostile actors to operate near our border, we will respond decisively,” the official added.

Further complicating the picture, a report published earlier this week by The Times (UK), citing unnamed defense sources, suggested that al-Sharaa may be open to broader negotiations involving the Abraham Accords. 

Discussions could include the establishment of a demilitarized zone in southern Syria and even a limited Israeli security presence near the Golan Heights—a region already under informal Israeli surveillance.

Whether these are signs of a durable thaw or merely another fleeting shift in the region’s volatile landscape remains to be seen.