US envoy confident Israel and Syria can strike deal on border and security

Tom Barrack tells The National that Syria 'knows part of the solution is a deal with Israel'

Just days after the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin said a deal with Syria is achievable, the US President Donald Trump’s envoy for Syria has weighed in from the Milken Institute Middle East and Africa Summit in Abu Dhabi

“My personal view on the President's desire is we'll get a deal there, starting with the security and border agreement, utilisation of zones, moving towards normalisation, has to be the answer,” Tom Barrack told the National. “I think Israel wants that too.”

Mr Trump said on Monday that he wants both Syria and Israel to “have a long and prosperous relationship together”; according to his Syria envoy, Damascus is pushing for peace while Israel remains wary.

“They [Syria] know that part of the solution is a deal with Israel,” said Mr Barrack. “They have so many enemy combatants trying to disrupt this … my personal belief is they're on the right track, and their attitude with us has been totally co-operative. Everything we ask them to do, and dragging them towards Israel, they're doing it. Israel is not trusting yet, so it's pretty slow.”

In comments earlier this week, Mr Netanyahu agreed to a deal in theory while demanding a large buffer zone, even after President Trump warned against actions that could destabilise the new government in Damascus.

“I think our President has been clear,” said Mr Barrack. “He's open to real discussions. He's not open to a senseless 'kicking the can down the road', and he knows the programme. If the Iranians want to listen to what this administration is saying on enrichment and stopping the funding of the proxies, it's the answer.”

Looking to the security of the broader region, Mr Barrack told The National that President Trump wants a deal with Iran, but only if Tehran is serious.

“Remember, our President is rolling in the second year of this issue. Iran has a 50-year perspective. Our President is smart enough to know that baiting him just to get in dialogue and continue this senseless killing for service is not going to happen.”