Israel’s Dual Approach in Syria: Diplomacy Talks Amidst Airstrikes

Israel and Syria have engaged in confidential talks for several weeks, aiming to find a diplomatic resolution to decades of tension, primarily over the territory Israel seized from Syria during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Optimistic speculation has circulated in Israeli media about the possibility of a limited non-aggression pact or even a historic peace agreement between the Jewish state and the former jihadist groups that took control of Damascus last December.

However, Israel’s bold airstrikes this week targeting Syrian government forces and infrastructure, including strikes within the capital Damascus, underscore the premature nature of these hopeful projections amid a volatile geopolitical environment. They also illustrate how Israel, still shaken by Hamas’s surprise attack in October 2023 yet encouraged by recent successes against Hezbollah and Iran, is increasingly inclined to employ military force preemptively against perceived threats—even if such actions complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at the same goals.

“This appears highly contradictory,” said Itamar Rabinovich, an Israeli historian specializing in Syria who led Israel’s negotiations with Syria in the 1990s. “It runs counter to the effort to negotiate.”

Rabinovich explained that the strikes reflect Israel’s post-2023 military doctrine, which blends “an unusual mix of paranoia following October 7 and a sense of strength after successes in Lebanon and Iran. The result is a preference for using force rather than diplomacy.”