Israel, Fearing of Alienating Tom Barrack, is Backtracking on Syria

Israel is moving to ease tensions with Türkiye and Syria after its bombing of the Abu al-Duhur air base, while seeking to repair relations with U.S. envoy Tom Barrack after he sharply criticized the escalation.

The strike targeted a Syrian facility that Israel said was being prepared to host Turkish forces, a claim that was swiftly rejected by both Türkiye and Syria.

Mossad chief Roman Gofman has since been tasked with leading efforts to contain the fallout and reopen diplomatic channels, according to Al Monitor.

Israel Reopens the Syria Track

Gofman met Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani in Jordan on Sunday under U.S. auspices, discussing security arrangements along the Israel-Syria border and tensions between Israel and Türkiye.

The talks reflected a shift from Israel’s previous emphasis on blocking Turkish influence in Syria.

A senior Israeli security official told Al Monitor that support was growing for an interim agreement with Damascus that could also reduce friction with Ankara.

Such an arrangement could include limits on heavy weapons near the Israeli border, American guarantees and broader understandings involving Türkiye.

Türkiye at the Center

The Abu al-Duhur strike highlighted the risk that Israeli-Turkish competition could spill directly into Syria.

Israel has publicly warned against a Turkish military foothold there, while some Israeli security figures argue that treating Türkiye as an enemy would be strategically counterproductive.

The emerging calculation is that an agreement with Damascus could help manage both fronts at once: reducing tensions with Syria while establishing clearer boundaries for Türkiye’s role.

Barrack Moves from Target to Channel

The shift also extends to Barrack, Trump’s envoy to Syria and ambassador to Türkiye.

Barrack called the Israeli strike an “unnecessary escalation” and said Israel had failed to warn Washington or Damascus beforehand. Israeli officials rejected the claim, while Defense Minister Israel Katz accused Barrack of making comments “full of inaccuracies.”

But senior Israeli officials are now arguing against prolonging the confrontation.

“Barrack may not be perfect for us, but he is Trump’s man and has a long-standing relationship with him. He will not be replaced,” a senior Israeli diplomatic source said. “Barrack should not be the problem, but the solution.”

Barrack’s effort to broker an Israel-Syria agreement is increasingly seen as a possible route to wider understandings involving Türkiye.

For Israel, the recalibration would turn the Syria file from a confrontation with Ankara and Damascus into a three-way security arrangement backed by Washington, with Barrack positioned at the center of the process.