Trump Presses Netanyahu on Syria Deal in Tense Mar-a-Lago Meeting

WEST PALM BEACH — President-elect Donald Trump publicly pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "get along" with Syria’s new government during a pivotal meeting at Mar-a-Lago today, December 29. The encounter resolves speculation regarding the leaders' schedules before the New Year while exposing deep friction over the geopolitical future of the Levant.

While reaffirming the broader alliance, the tone of the meeting was notably tense. Trump candidly remarked to reporters that Netanyahu "can be difficult on occasion," a comment directly aimed at the Prime Minister's resistance to Washington's evolving policy on post-Assad Syria.

At the heart of the dispute is the trajectory of relations between Jerusalem and Damascus following the collapse of the Assad regime in late 2024. The Trump administration has embraced Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, viewing his transitional government as a vehicle for regional stability. Washington is actively seeking to broker a comprehensive peace architecture that would include normalized relations and formalized security agreements—outcomes heavily anticipated by geopolitical forecasters for the first half of 2026.

However, Netanyahu has maintained a "hard-power" strategy, viewing the new Syrian leadership with deep suspicion due to al-Sharaa’s past affiliations with Islamist rebel groups. Despite U.S. requests to de-escalate, Israel has refused to withdraw from the expanded "security buffer zone" IDF forces seized in southern Syria and has continued airstrikes against suspected threats.

Trump’s public exhortation for Israel to cooperate with its northern neighbor indicates that the incoming U.S. administration is unwilling to let Israeli security concerns derail a potential normalization deal. This diplomatic standoff has intensified in the last week, following reports that the Trump team rebuffed Israeli requests to maintain specific sanctions on Syria—leverage Netanyahu had hoped to use to extract security guarantees.

As the leaders conclude their discussions in Florida, the focus shifts to whether Trump’s personal intervention can force a shift in Israeli policy. The outcome of this pressure campaign will likely determine if a formal security agreement or diplomatic recognition can be achieved before the ambitious mid-year deadlines currently being monitored by analysts.