Trump Vows Personal Intervention to End Israel-Syria Standoff Ahead of Netanyahu Summit

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump thrust himself directly into the widening rift between Israel and Syria today, declaring he will "make it so that Israel and Syria's president get along." The vow reshapes the agenda for the December 29 summit with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, all but guaranteeing that the deteriorating situation on the Syrian border will dominate the bilateral talks.

The President’s comments signal an urgent administration push to broker a formal security agreement before localized violence metastasizes into a regional war. following the 2024 collapse of the Assad regime, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have carved out a de facto "security zone" deep inside Syrian territory, sparking lethal skirmishes near Beit Jinn earlier this month.

Trump is now leveraging his unique position to bridge the gap between Jerusalem and Damascus. While the President recently formalized U.S. recognition of Israeli "sovereign rights" over the Golan Heights, he has simultaneously cultivated a rapport with Syria’s new President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, whom he hosted at the White House in November and lauded as a "strong leader."

Analysts interpret Trump's declaration as a warning that he will pressure Netanyahu next week to accept a formalized security framework. The administration’s goal is a deal that satisfies Israel’s operational requirements for a buffer zone while offering political cover to the Sharaa government, which has conditioned broader peace talks on a return to pre-2024 lines.

By publicly staking his credibility on the two leaders "getting along," Trump is accelerating the diplomatic timeline. The White House appears intent on converting the current volatility into a structured roadmap, aiming to lock in a security deal in the opening weeks of 2026 to clear the path for full diplomatic normalization later in the year.

The immediate stakes now rest on the December 29 meeting. With the President effectively placing the Syrian file at the top of the docket, the summit will test whether Trump's personal diplomacy can reconcile the conflicting survival strategies of his two closest Middle Eastern partners.