Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said that negotiations with Israel came close to reaching a 90% agreement before Israel backed out. He stressed that the Golan is Syrian land whose ownership is not open for discussion, while calling on Israel to change its policy toward Syria if it wants to protect its security. According to a report by journalist Barak Ravid on Israel's Channel 12, al-Sharaa's remarks came in an interview on the sidelines of UN meetings. In response to a question about Israeli concerns regarding Syria after the events of October 7, he said he understands what happened to the innocents, but "all policy cannot be determined based on an incident that occurred in history," pointing in contrast to the killing of more than 70,000 people in Gaza, as he put it. He added that building policy toward Syria on those events is "illogical" and generates additional security threats. Al-Sharaa accused the Israeli army of carrying out random raids and arrests and bombing sites inside Syria, saying that the presidential palace was bombed twice and that Syrian airports, including military ones, were also targeted. He asked: "Will that bring security to the Israeli citizen?", adding that whoever wants to protect his security must respect the security of others. The Syrian President explained that Syria chose the diplomatic path, enlisting countries that have good relations with Israel, including the United States. He said that several rounds of negotiation have already taken place: "We almost reached a 90% agreement, but Israel backed down at that point for various reasons it presented." He considered that the success of these arrangements in the future may open the door to a discussion on sustainable peace. Regarding the Golan file, al-Sharaa said it is "Syrian land" recognized by the United Nations, and pointed to the vote of more than 137 countries, stressing that there is no discussion regarding the region's affiliation. He spoke about his relationship with US President Donald Trump and his decision to lift sanctions on Syria, but stressed that American recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan does not grant any president the right to dispose of it. He recounted that he joked with Trump during his visit to the White House, saying: "Why don't you give New Jersey to the Israelis? The Golan is not yours to give to them, whereas New Jersey is yours." He jokingly added that the state is full of Democrats who do not vote for Trump. He stressed that the Golan belongs to its people, and no Syrian or American president has the right to cede it. Al-Sharaa compared Syria's relations with the Gulf countries, Iraq, and Lebanon, which he described as successful, to its tense relationship with Israel. He concluded that "the problem is in Israel, not in Syria," calling on the Israelis to change an approach he said does not achieve security for them.