Normalization With Israel: A Syrian Political Taboo

A misleading narrative claims Syrians are warming up to the US and Israel under the new regime, but polling data reveals the opposite: only 14% of Syrians support normalization with Israel while 84% view Israeli policies as the top regional threat.

Story Snapshot

Only 14% of Syrians support normalization with Israel; just 4% hold favorable views of Israel according to December 2025 polling data
The Trump administration brokered US-Israel-Syria talks in Paris focusing on border security, not normalization, after lifting sanctions on Syria’s new government
Arab Opinion Index 2025 shows 84% of Arabs see Israeli policies as the top threat and 77% view US policies as threatening regional stability
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s pragmatic diplomacy with Washington aims at counterterrorism cooperation and sanctions relief, despite overwhelming public opposition to Western engagement

Diplomatic Mirage Obscures Syrian Public Sentiment

The Trump administration’s decision to revoke terrorist designations for Syria’s new leadership and broker Israel-Syria talks in Paris has generated headlines suggesting Syrian attitudes toward America and Israel are softening. The reality tells a starkly different story. Polling conducted in late 2025 confirms that Syrian public opinion remains deeply hostile to both nations, with overwhelming majorities viewing US and Israeli policies as existential threats. This disconnect between elite diplomatic engagement and grassroots sentiment represents a critical misreading of post-Assad Syria that threatens America’s long-term strategic interests in the region.

Post-Assad Government Pursues Pragmatic Engagement Despite Public Opposition

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa assumed power in December 2024 after Bashar al-Assad’s regime collapsed amid weakened support from Russia and Iran. Al-Sharaa’s government, emerging from the former Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham organization, has focused on counterterrorism operations and state rebuilding while pursuing diplomatic legitimacy. The Trump administration rewarded this approach by removing terrorist designations and facilitating al-Sharaa’s first Washington visit. United Nations sanctions were also lifted. These diplomatic victories boost reconstruction prospects but ignore the disconnect between government pragmatism and Syrian street sentiment, where 88% view Israel as a stability threat.

Polling Data Contradicts Warming Narrative

Foreign Policy polling from December 2025 documents that merely 14% of Syrians support normalization with Israel, while only 4% hold favorable views of Israel. The 2025 Arab Opinion Index reinforces this hostility, showing 84% of Arabs identify Israeli policies as the primary regional threat and 77% view US policies similarly. These figures demonstrate that diplomatic engagement at the elite level has failed to translate into public acceptance. Seventy percent of Arabs reject normalization deals that don’t return the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to Syria. The gap between government diplomacy and public opinion creates instability that risks undermining America’s strategic objectives.

Israel’s Military Actions Fuel Syrian Hostility

Israel conducted extensive military operations in early 2025, destroying Syrian army capabilities and expanding buffer zones in the Golan during a 12-day operation. Israeli strikes targeted Iranian positions throughout Syria as part of a “war between the wars” doctrine aimed at preventing Tehran’s entrenchment. These actions, combined with Israel’s 1967 occupation of the Golan Heights, fuel Arab opposition and make normalization politically toxic for Syrian leaders. The Trump administration’s efforts to broker border security arrangements ignore this fundamental reality. Israeli intelligence has also provided support to Syrian minority groups, fragmenting national unity and complicating al-Sharaa’s consolidation efforts.

Strategic Implications For American Interests

The Trump administration’s bet on al-Sharaa’s government serves legitimate interests in countering ISIS resurgence and reducing Iranian influence. However, pushing normalization with Israel against overwhelming public opposition risks destabilizing Syria’s fragile transition. Congressional sanctions relief and UN support provide al-Sharaa with reconstruction resources, but internal backlash from the 86% of Syrians who oppose closer ties with Israel could undermine counterterrorism cooperation. The Biden-era mistakes of ignoring regional realities and pursuing ideologically-driven policies regardless of facts on the ground should serve as cautionary tales. America’s strategy must account for Syrian public opinion or risk repeating past failures where diplomatic theater substituted for substantive progress.