Syrian president rules out joining Abraham Accords to normalize ties with Israel, prepares for UN return

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has ruled out joining the Abraham Accords, insisting that his country’s conflict with Israel is fundamentally different from that of other Arab states.

In remarks published by Saudi magazine Al-Majalla, Sharaa said Syria’s approach is based on “zero problems” with neighbors, but stressed that normalization with Israel is not on the table.

“The accords were signed with states that had no occupied land or direct conflicts with Israel. Syria’s situation is different, we have the Golan Heights under occupation,” he said.

The Abraham Accords are US-brokered agreements signed during US President Donald Trump’s first term in 2020 to normalize ties between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.

The Syrian leader said Damascus’ priority is to revive the 1974 UN-brokered Disengagement Agreement or a similar arrangement to stabilize southern Syria under international supervision.

Sharaa also pointed to his upcoming appearance at the UN General Assembly in New York in September, the first by a Syrian president since 1967, describing it as a sign of Syria’s gradual reintegration into international diplomacy.

“This participation is itself a message Syria is no longer in isolation,” he said, noting that relations have opened in recent years with the US, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and European states.