Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office dismissed as “fake news” claims it considered ceding Mount Dov to Syria in exchange for recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a firm denial Wednesday evening following a media report alleging that Israel had weighed a U.S.-backed proposal to hand over Mount Dov and the Shebaa Farms to Syria in return for Damascus dropping its claims to the Golan Heights.
“The report claiming that Israel is considering ceding Mount Dov is totally fake news,” the Prime Minister’s Office declared in an official statement.
The report, aired by Kan 11 News, claimed the proposal had surfaced during U.S.-mediated talks between Jerusalem and Damascus. Negotiations were reportedly suspended after Syrian Druze residents of Suweida were massacred by Sunni militias and regime forces. Still, the broadcaster noted that the possibility of renewed discussions in the future had not been ruled out.
Kan cited a Syrian government-linked source who acknowledged that the Mount Dov question could eventually be tied to Golan Heights negotiations, but emphasized it was not currently under discussion. Another figure familiar with the talks confirmed that the issue is not on the present agenda and may only surface at a later stage.
Meanwhile, i24NEWS reported earlier this week that the Trump administration was working to broker a preliminary security arrangement between Israel and Syria ahead of September’s UN General Assembly. U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack downplayed speculation of an imminent breakthrough, telling Axios journalist Barak Ravid: “They have mutual intent and desire but at the moment, there is still more work to do.”
For Israel, any potential deal involving territorial concessions would require either approval by a national referendum or a majority vote in the Knesset—a politically charged prospect certain to ignite fierce debate.
