Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa claimed on Tuesday that Syria had seen a last-minute change in Israel’s position during direct talks between the sides.
Speaking at the Chatham House think tank in London, Sharaa said, “Israel dealt with Syria in a negative way since the moment we arrived at Damascus. Bombing locations, incursions and violating the 1974 agreement."
He then claimed, “We tried dialogue, indirect and direct negotiations, and reached good points, but the Israelis changed their minds at the last minute."
Amid the tensions in the region, Sharaa also emphasized that Syria will stay out of any conflict unless it is directly targeted.
"No one is ready to be involved in war, and we will not be in it, unless we are subject to aggression and we have no diplomatic solution," the Syrian President said.
Sharaa stressed the government's priorities in stabilizing the economy, rebuilding infrastructure, and facilitating the return of displaced citizens.
"We had enough war. We paid a large bill. We are not ready for another war experience," he said. "Those who have been in war know the value of peace."
Sharaa confirmed last November that Israel and Syria had held direct talks on a security pact, but those talks did not result in an agreement.
During a visit to Washington at the time, Sharaa was asked by Fox News about the possibility of Syria joining the Abraham Accords and was cautious.
He would not acknowledge whether Syria would agree to recognize Israel’s right to exist and would only say, “Syria has borders with Israel, and Israel occupies the Golan Heights since 1967. We are not going to enter into a negotiation directly right now. Maybe the United States administration, with President Trump, will help us reach this kind of negotiation."