Benjamin Netanyahu said he will evaluate Syria‘s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, based on “what is happening on the ground” after the Syrian leader met with US President Donald Trump in Washington. Speaking to an Australian television channel, Netanyahu set out specific criteria for the future Israel-Syria relationship.

The Israeli prime minister made clear that his stance towards the Syrian president will depend on developments on the ground and the choices of the new Syrian leadership. “Is Syria becoming a peaceful country?” he asked, noting that al-Saraa will be judged by whether he “cleans out the jihadists within his own army” and whether he will work with Israel to achieve a demilitarized zone in southwestern Syria, in the area bordering the Golan Heights.

At the same time, he made it a priority to safeguard Syria’s Druze, saying they were “mutilated, massacred, almost as badly as in the October 7 massacre by Hamas in Gaza.”

The Israeli prime minister said that as long as there is demilitarization of southwestern Syria and permanent protection of the Druze there, “we can move forward.” He also stressed that his assessment of al-Saraa would be based “on what is actually being done and what is being achieved.”

Responding to a question about the June war against Iran, Netanyahu denied that the US had prevented the completion of Israeli operations. “We had a very clear set of objectives,” he said. “We wanted to hit nuclear sites, missile production facilities and a few other targets. When that was achieved, the war was over.” He added that there was “another possible attack” that was considered, but not one that was suspended because of U.S. intervention.

Referring to Gaza, Netanyahu reiterated that Israel “will retain the ultimate security responsibility,” noting that “we are not delegating our security to anyone else, neither in Gaza nor on any other front.”