Syria’s top diplomat, Asaad al-Shaibani, is expected to meet with Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer in Paris on July 24 to discuss escalating sectarian violence in southern Syria. The meeting, facilitated by U.S. special envoy Tom Barrack, marks the first ministerial-level contact between the two nations’ governments since the Islamist takeover of Syria.
“There will be a Syrian-Israeli security meeting in Paris today, and Tom Barrack will facilitate it,” a senior diplomat said. The meeting is seen as a U.S.-brokered attempt to ease regional tensions after recent deadly clashes in Syria’s Sweida province, a majority-Druze area.
The diplomat confirmed that while Dermer was already in Paris, Shaibani was expected to arrive later Thursday. Meanwhile, Barrack, who also serves as Washington’s ambassador to Turkey, was reportedly scheduled to hold separate talks with France’s top diplomat Jean-Noel Barrot, according to a French foreign ministry source.
The backdrop to this meeting is Israel’s military response to sectarian clashes in southern Syria earlier this month. Israeli forces launched air strikes on government positions in Sweida, citing the need to protect the Druze minority amid spiraling violence. The strikes extended to Damascus, hitting areas near the presidential palace and army headquarters.
