Mount Hermon and Russia: Why Israel-Syria Negotiations Have Reached a Deadlock

The attempt to return the dialogue between Israel and Syria to a controlled course ended without a breakthrough. According to diplomatic sources, the US-mediated talks have effectively stalled due to a fundamental disagreement over the Syrian part of Mount Hermon — a point that Jerusalem considers an indivisible part of the national security system.

The negotiations between Israel and Syria, mediated by the US, have reached an impasse due to a fundamental disagreement over the Syrian part of Mount Hermon. Additional tension is also caused by the Russian factor, writes Maariv on January 14, 2025, citing diplomatic sources.

The two-day meeting of representatives from Israel, Syria, and the US in Paris yielded only minimal results. The parties agreed to create a technical coordination mechanism aimed at reducing the risk of military incidents on the ground with the participation of the American side. That was where the common ground ended.

Damascus linked any further steps to the withdrawal of Israeli units from Mount Hermon. Israel immediately ruled out such an option. Political and military circles emphasize that control over this area is not considered a subject of bargaining, and relinquishing it is seen as a direct risk to the country’s security.

Against this backdrop, an additional factor of tension has emerged, which Jerusalem perceives as strategically more dangerous. It concerns Syria’s attempts, coordinated with Moscow, to restore the Russian military presence, primarily in the south of the country.

Israeli sources note that such a scenario is perceived as a threat to the freedom of action of the IDF. In response, Israel blocked initiatives to deploy Russian units in the region and sent a clear signal: the return of Russian troops to southern Syria is unacceptable.

This signal, according to sources, was conveyed through several channels — to Damascus, Moscow, and Washington. Thus, the negotiations were caught between the territorial deadlock around Hermon and a broader geopolitical line, where Israel seeks to prevent changes in the military balance at its northern borders, as consistently reported by NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency.