Rabbi Abraham Cooper, an American rabbi who recently met in Damascus with Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, believes a meeting between al-Sharaa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not out of the question — as long as it is initiated by US President Donald Trump.
Cooper, who formerly chaired the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, visited Syria’s capital shortly before the launch of Operation Rising Lion in Iran. He was joined by Pastor Johnny Moore, a close associate of Trump. The two arrived in Damascus following a prior meeting in New York with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.
In an interview with Kan News, Rabbi Cooper shared his impressions of al-Sharaa: “It’s true he’s an Islamist, but al-Sharaa speaks of a vision for his country that includes a united Syria with one army and equal rights. If he can achieve that, it would be a game-changer.”
Addressing potential relations with Israel, Cooper outlined two possible paths: short-term de-escalation and a political meeting brokered by Trump. “The only quick path would be if someone named Donald Trump invited both leaders — Israel’s Prime Minister and Syria’s President — to Washington to sit together for a few hours. That could change everything.”
Rabbi Cooper, who works to promote unofficial ties with Arab countries, proposed to al-Sharaa starting cooperation with Israel on humanitarian issues: locating missing persons, water, and agriculture. He also asked for help recovering the remains of Israeli spy Eli Cohen and expressed gratitude for the transfer of Cohen’s personal archive to his family.
According to Cooper, Syria’s president told him that resolving the conflict with Israel was a priority. “We intend to continue advancing this,” Cooper said, adding that al-Sharaa had expressed genuine interest in peace.