Relationship dossier
Israel
Syria
Relationship assessment
A long-running conflict over the Golan Heights and repeated military confrontations define Israel–Syria relations.
Israel toward Syria
-75Israel has occupied the Golan Heights since 1967 and has conducted repeated airstrikes against targets in Syria. The 1974 disengagement agreement established a buffer zone and monitoring arrangements, but did not resolve the territorial dispute.
Syria toward Israel
-70Under Bashar al-Assad, Syria maintained a hostile posture toward Israel and supported armed groups opposing it, including Hezbollah. The policy of the Syrian authorities who took power in 2024 remains unclear.
Overall relationship
-75The relationship is structured by an unresolved territorial dispute and a long history of military conflict. The 1974 disengagement agreement limited direct confrontation along the Golan front but left the underlying conflict unresolved. Israel’s occupation of the Golan Heights and Syrian support for armed groups opposing Israel have sustained antagonism; the 2024 change of government in Syria introduces uncertainty about future policy.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Israel and Syria have had a sustained adversarial relationship shaped by the unresolved Golan Heights dispute and repeated armed confrontations. Israel has occupied the Golan Heights since 1967 and carried out strikes in Syria; the 1974 disengagement agreement established a military buffer but did not resolve the conflict. Syria’s government under Bashar al-Assad maintained a hostile posture toward Israel and supported armed groups opposing it. The change of government in Syria in 2024 makes the new authorities’ policy an important uncertainty.
Areas of tension
- The status of the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel since 1967.
- Israeli airstrikes and military operations in Syria.
- The presence and activity of armed groups supported by the Syrian government under Bashar al-Assad.
- The future of the 1974 disengagement arrangements after the 2024 change of government in Syria.
Key developments
Israel and Syria signed a disengagement agreement establishing a buffer zone and arrangements for monitoring military forces after the 1973 war.
Major uncertainties
- The new Syrian authorities’ policy toward Israel and the 1974 disengagement arrangements are unclear.
- The extent and duration of Israeli military operations and presence in Syria following the 2024 change of government are uncertain.