Netanyahu also confirmed recent reports of a Russian delegation visiting southern Syria, near its border with Israel.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Shaara has been acting irrationally ever since returning from his meeting with US President Donald Trump last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Security Cabinet on Friday.
“Syrian President Shaara has started doing all sorts of things since the meeting with Trump in Washington,” Netanyahu said. “He came back inflated.”
Netanyahu also confirmed recent reports of a Russian delegation visiting southern Syria, near its border with Israel.
Trump met with Shaara earlier this month during the first-ever visit by a Syrian president to Washington, which occurred six months after their initial meeting in Saudi Arabia.
During that earlier meeting, the US leader announced plans to lift sanctions, just days before the US designated Shaara as no longer a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist.”
Following Shaara’s visit, US President Donald Trump vowed to do everything he could to support Syria’s success after their landmark talks.
Speaking to reporters, Trump praised Shaara as a “strong leader” and expressed confidence in him. “We’ve all had rough pasts,” he said, referencing Shaara’s former status as an al-Qaeda commander.
Netanyahu and Katz tour Syria
Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and several senior government and defense officials toured southern Syria on Wednesday amid discussions about a potential security agreement.
The group visited an IDF post, met with active-duty and reserve soldiers, praised their actions during the war, and answered their questions. “We are proud of our soldiers,” Netanyahu stated.
In response, the Syrian Foreign Ministry released a statement condemning the visit, calling it a “serious violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The statement reiterated Syria’s firm demand for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Syrian territory and affirmed that all measures taken by Israel in southern Syria are null and void under international law.
Reuters contributed to this report.