Role of the Druze in advancing Israeli agenda in Syria
By Alireza Majidi
Middle East affairs analyst
Rising tensions between the Druze community in Suwayda and the Syrian government led by Ahmad al-Sharaa have opened a window for Israel to step in with military backing for this religious minority to advance its political strategy in Syria.
The Druze, an Islamic-rooted religious minority, comprise around 3% of Syria’s population, with most residing in the southern province of Sweida. This region’s location near the Jordanian border and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights has elevated its geopolitical value in recent years.
With ethnic and religious ties to Israel’s own Druze population, their presence provides Israel with a strategic foothold. Supporting Muslim minorities in neighboring countries has become one of Tel Aviv’s tools for projecting influence in the region, enabling them to act as proxies or representatives of Israeli interests abroad.
What makes the Druze especially valuable in this regard is their relatively successful integration into Israeli society. Unlike many other Arab groups who remained in their homeland after the 1948 establishment of Israel, segments of the Druze community have carved out a more accepted role within Israeli society—at least in the eyes of the Zionist regime.
This perceived assimilation has made them a focal point of Israel’s political and military investments in Syria.
Page 2