![Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, during a news conference with US President Donald Trump, not pictured, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. [Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2237769324-scaled-e1760987615959.jpg)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday linked the “future engagement” with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to “cooperation on setting up a demilitarised zone in south-west Syria,” bordering the occupied Golan Heights. The Syrian government has said that Israel currently plays a “negative role” in the country and continues to violate its territory. However, Damascus has sought a diplomatic response and “has not been provoked.” In an interview published by the Times of Israel, Netanyahu said: “The future engagement with al-Sharaa will depend on cooperation in establishing a demilitarised zone in south-west Syria.” He added: “If a demilitarised zone is established in south-west Syria and the Druze community there receives permanent protection, we can move forward in our relations with […]
