Latest news with #Bedouin
Washington Post
25 minutes ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Why did Israel attack Syria — and what does it have to do with the Druze
Israel launched a wave of strikes on Syria this week, which hit the presidential palace and Defense Ministry in Damascus. Israel said the attacks were meant to protect Syria's Druze minority. The Israeli intervention stemmed from a sectarian conflict on Syria's southern border — where Druze and Bedouin groups have clashed. The Israeli attacks Tuesday and Wednesday killed at least three people in Syria and injured dozens, including women and children, before the Syrian government and Druze leader announced a ceasefire Wednesday, which remains tenuous.
Al Jazeera
an hour ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Not just about the Druze: Israel's rationale for its attacks on Syria
On Wednesday afternoon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a video message to his country's Druze minority. He implored them not to cross into southwestern Syria to support Syrian Druze militiamen in their fight against local Bedouin and government forces in Suwayda. And yet, as Netanyahu made the statement, his own forces were bombing the Syrian capital Damascus, hitting the country's Ministry of Defence, and killing at least three people. Netanyahu claimed that he had deployed Israel's military might in the defence of the Druze. 'My brothers, the Druze citizens of Israel, the situation in Suweyda in southwestern Syria is very serious,' the principal architect of the 2018 nation-state law that's been widely criticised for marginalising the Druze and other minorities said. 'We are acting to save our Druze brothers and to eliminate the gangs of the regime,' he assured them, referring to the Syrian government. Israel's Druze Sectarian tensions between the Druze and local Bedouins in Suweyda are longstanding. Meanwhile, attempts by the newly formed Syrian government, which took power after the fall of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad in December, to assert control over the region have been frustrated in part by Israel's repeated threats against the presence of the Syrian military near its border. There are roughly 700,000 Druze in Syria. Another 150,000 Druze live in Israel, where, at least before the 2018 law emphasising only Jewish self-determination, many regarded themselves as bound by a 'blood covenant' with their Jewish neighbours since 1948 and the founding of Israel at the expense of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who were ethnically cleansed in the Nakba. While some now feel like 'second-class' citizens, the majority are still supportive of the Israeli state, where they serve in the military. 'The Israeli Druze see themselves as Druze, as Israelis, and as Arabs,' Rami Zeedan, an associate professor at the University of Kansas and the founder and editor-in-chief of Druze Studies Journal, said. 'Part of the identification with Israel is the feeling of both Jews and Druze being persecuted minorities,' he added. 'Israeli Druze still feel that they have much more to gain from Israel compared to any other hypothetical future. As a cornerstone of this alliance is the protection of the Druze community.' 'The Israeli Druze are now trying to use that and urge the Israeli government to protect fellow Druze in Syria,' he said, explaining, in part, the justification for Israel's strikes on Syria, where the Druze community has traditionally been anti-Israel, even as some leaders grow closer to Israel. 'Pure opportunism' But the reality is that Israel has long attacked Syria, even before the latest outbreak of violence involving the Druze in Suwayda. Since the ousting of al-Assad after a 14-year war, Israel has struck Syria hundreds of times and invaded and occupied about 400 square kilometres (155sq miles) of its territory, excluding the western Golan Heights, which it has occupied since 1967. Leading analysts within Israel suggest that these latest attacks may not have been entirely motivated by concern for the welfare of the Druze, so much as the personal and political aims of the Israeli government and its embattled prime minister. 'It's pure opportunism,' Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli ambassador and consul general in New York, told Al Jazeera. 'Of course, it's nice to pretend that we're helping our friends the Druze, in the same way as we never helped our other friends, the Kurds,' he said, referring to another regional ethnic group. Pinkas sketched out a number of the motivations behind Israel's recent strikes on Syria, from boosting Netanyahu's newfound self-image as a wartime leader, to pushing back his corruption trial, to reinforcing the 'delusion' that, over the previous 21 months, Israel has somehow managed to reshape the Middle East through military force alone. 'Lastly, he doesn't want to see a unified Syria with a strong central government controlled by al-Sharaa,' Pinkas said. 'He wants a weak central government dealing with areas controlled by the Kurds [in the north] and the Druze and Bedouin in the south.' 'Basically, if Syria remains un-unified, Israel can do what it wants in its south,' he added. Netanyahu has repeatedly emphasised that Israel will only stand for a demilitarised Syria south of Damascus, including the region that encompasses Suwayda. This, in effect, creates a buffer zone for Israel, adding to the military reasoning for Israel's actions in Syria. Hollowed out by war The attacks on Syria have the additional effect of sustaining the sense of crisis that has gripped Israeli society and sustained its government through numerous scandals since the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, and the subsequent war on Gaza. Israel has since attacked Lebanon, Iran, Yemen and Syria. 'It's not that people are tired of war; it's like they no longer even care. It's ennui,' Israeli political analyst Ori Goldberg said of the public response to the latest attacks. 'War gives people energy and meaning, but it's fleeting. People have even forgotten about the war with Iran,' he said, referring to the 12-day war in June that prompted global fears of regional escalation. All the caveats and cautions that would normally precede military action had, Goldberg noted, been replaced by ever-fresh dangers requiring new escalations. 'It's dangerous,' he said. 'Israelis don't care about the Druze. It's just a new threat, a new front, and now there's this tired, 'OK, dude. Let's do it [attitude]'.' 'War has hollowed us out.'
Scoop
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
UN Sounds Alarm Over Syria As Sectarian Clashes, Israeli Strikes Flare
17 July 2025 The Druze-majority Sweida governorate, long relatively insulated from earlier phases of Syria's 14year conflict, has now become a flashpoint. Briefing an emergency meeting of the Security Council, UN Assistant SecretaryGeneral Khaled Khiari painted a grim picture: hundreds of casualties among soldiers and civilians –including women, children and the elderly – alongside reports of mass displacement, attacks on infrastructure, and hospitals 'at or near capacity' amid power and water cuts. ' There were further alarming reports of civilians, religious figures and detainees being subjected to extrajudicial executions and humiliating and degrading treatment,' he said. Violent reprisals and looting have devastated communities, with graphic footage circulating widely on social media amplifying fear and anger. He urged all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. Timeline of escalation 12 July: Series of mutual kidnappings in Sweida escalate into armed clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze armed groups. 14 July: Syrian security forces deploy to 'halt clashes' and 'restore order'. At least 10 personnel reportedly killed by Druze armed groups, others abducted. Reports surface of the abuses against civilians as forces enter Sweida. Clashes intensify, leaving hundreds dead or wounded among security forces and Druze fighters, casualties also reported among Druze and Bedouin civilians, including women, children and the elderly. Sectarian rhetoric surges on social media. 15-16 July: Hundreds of Druze from the occupied Syrian Golan and Syria gather on both sides of the ceasefire line, in the presence of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), expressing solidarity with the Druze community in Sweida. Israeli airstrikes compound crisis Against this backdrop, Israel, 'pledging to protect' the Druze community launched 'escalatory' strikes on Syrian territory, Mr. Khiari said. Between 12 and 16 July, air raids targeted Damascus authorities' forces and official buildings, military installations and the vicinity of the Presidential Palace. ' In addition to violating Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Israel's actions undermine efforts to build a new Syria at peace with itself and the region, and further destabilise Syria at a sensitive time,' Mr. Khiari said. He urged both Israel and Syria to uphold the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement and 'refrain from any action that would further undermine it and the stability on the Golan.' Humanitarian fallout According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) there are severe disruption to supply routes, with insecurity and road closures blocking aid deliveries. The UN World Health Organization (WHO) dispatched trauma care supplies to Daraa, but Sweida remains inaccessible. Mr. Khiari stressed the need for humanitarian access and called on Damascus to ensure any investigations into alleged abuses are 'transparent and in line with international standards.' Call for genuine reconciliation Reaffirming the Security Council's March call for an inclusive, Syrian-owned political process under resolution 2254, Mr. Khiari warned: ' Security and stability in Sweida, and indeed in post-Assad Syria can only be achieved through genuine reconciliation and with the participation of all components of Syria's diverse society. ' He urged all Syrian stakeholders to commit to dialogue and emphasised the UN's support for an inclusive and credible political transition that ensures accountability, fosters national healing and lays the foundation for Syria's long-term recovery and prosperity. ' Only then, can Syria truly emerge from the legacy of conflict and embrace a peaceful future,' he concluded.
Gulf Today
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Druze elder humiliated in viral video found alive, granddaughter says
The granddaughter of a Druze elder, whose humiliation at the hands of an armed man was captured in a viral video as Syrian forces entered Sweida this week, said he had been found alive following claims he was dead. The widely circulated video showed Sheikh Merhej Shahin, 80, in front of his home as a man in military attire forcibly shaved off his moustache — a grave insult in the Druze community. The family had desperately tried to contact Shahin for hours after the video began spreading on Tuesday, his granddaughter Christine Shahin told AFP, but his phone was ultimately answered by an unknown person who taunted them, saying the elder had "met his end". But on Thursday she said he had been found alive and well by Druze fighters in the wake of government forces' withdrawal. "Thank God, my grandfather is now home," she said. "After the siege of our village was lifted, the young men found him safe and sound." Syrian government forces on Tuesday entered the majority-Druze city of Sweida, in the country's south, with the stated aim of overseeing a ceasefire after clashes between local fighters and Bedouin tribes left dozens dead. However, witnesses reported that the government forces joined with the Bedouin in attacking Druze fighters and civilians in a bloody rampage through the city. Late Wednesday, the central government announced it was pulling out its troops after striking an accord for a ceasefire with local representatives. The video of Merhej Shahin's mistreatment had sparked widespread anger in the Druze heartland. According to his family, the octogenarian had been in the hands of armed groups after the video was filmed, though the exact circumstances were still unknown due to difficulties with communications. Agence France-Presse
CBC
2 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
Who are the Druze and why is Israel claiming to protect them by attacking Syria?
Social Sharing Syria's new government grappled with deadly clashes in the southern part of the country over the past week between local Bedouin fighters and militias linked to the Druze minority people. Then, Syrian government forces intervened in the region, causing further bloodshed. A halt to the fighting was declared on Wednesday — but that happened only after a wave of Israeli airstrikes on Syria's capital city, Damascas. Convoys of Syrian government forces reportedly withdrew overnight Wednesday from the Suwayda governorate (an administrative region similar to a state) as part of the ceasefire agreement. Suwayda, one of 14 governorates in Syria, is mainly populated by Druze people. Here's what we know about what caused the deadly violence to erupt in the region, why both Syria and Israel intervened, and the role of the Druze people in this situation. Who are the Druze? The Druze religious sect began as a 10th-century offshoot of Ismailism, a branch of Shia Islam. They make up roughly three per cent of Syria's population. But more than half of the roughly one million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel — including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and annexed in 1981. The local Druze in Suwayda, who make up 90 per cent of the region's population, largely expelled the ousted former president Bashar al-Assad's regime and its agents in 2012. After that, they aided neither Assad's government nor the rebels opposing him. The community, which is split into a number of factions, had been divided over how to approach Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa's de facto Islamist rule over Syria after largely celebrating the downfall of the decades-long dictatorial rule of the former regime in December 2024. They feared persecution after several attacks from the Islamic State militant group and al-Qaeda affiliates, the Nusra Front, in the 14 years following the uprising against the regime in Syria in March 2011. While it first appeared many Druze hoped to resolve matters diplomatically, with al-Sharaa vowing to create an inclusive Syria for all its different ethnic and religious communities, they became more skeptical over time, especially after a February counter-insurgency in the coastal province turned into targeted attacks against the Alawite religious minority. What fuelled the violence in Suwayda? While a previous truce between Druze armed groups and government forces appeared to be holding, state media reported that Druze militants had launched revenge attacks in the last several days on communities of Sunni Bedouins, leading to a wave of displacement. Clashes escalated over the weekend after a Druze merchant was reportedly abducted. This was followed by tit-for-tat kidnappings and attacks between local Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze armed factions in Suwayda. Government forces that intervened to restore order clashed with the Druze militias and also attacked unarmed civilians, according to witness reports. The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) said it had documented 193 deaths in four days of fighting. Medical personnel, women and children were among the victims. Fadel Abdulghany, SNHR executive director, said the figure included cases of field executions by both sides — Syrians killed by Israeli strikes and others killed in clashes — but said it would take time to break down the figures for each category. Video also circulated on social media showed government forces and allies humiliating Druze clerics and residents, looting homes and killing civilians hiding inside their houses. Government fighters reportedly looted and burned homes in Suwayda, then left. Fighters also shaved off mustaches, which are a symbol of religious and cultural identity with spiritual significance for many Druze men and sheikhs. In March, a pro-Assad uprising saw violent clashes between the army and pro-Assad loyalists in the western coastal region. It turned deadly, with hundreds killed, including unarmed civilians from the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shia Islam. Most recently, an ISIS bombing at a church in Damascus killed dozens of churchgoers, fuelling fear of instability in the region. Why is Israel involved? Israel, which bombed Syria frequently under the rule of Assad, has struck the country repeatedly this year. Its latest airstrikes on Wednesday blew up part of Syria's Defence Ministry and hit near the presidential palace as Israeli officials vowed to destroy government forces attacking Druze. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took credit on Thursday for the ceasefire, and vowed to keep southern Syria demilitarized. "We will not allow military forces to descend south of Damascus, we will not allow the Druze to be harmed in Jebel Druze," he said. WATCH | Israeli strike hits Syria's Defence Ministry: Syria's interim president promises to protect Druze citizens following Israeli strikes 6 hours ago Since the fall of Assad, Israel has emerged as a new power broker in southern Syria, moving troops across the longtime frontier to occupy territory and raid villages. Scores of Israeli Druze broke through the border fence on Wednesday, linking up with Druze on the Syrian side, despite Netanyahu urging Israeli Druze citizens not to cross the border. Al-Sharaa accused Israel of trying to fracture Syria on Thursday, saying it sought to "dismantle the unity of our people" and had "consistently targeted our stability and created discord among us since the fall of the former regime." How did the new Syrian government respond? Al-Sharaa, who was commander of an al-Qaeda faction before cutting ties with the group in 2016, said protecting Druze citizens and their rights was "our priority" and rejected any attempt to drag them into the hands of an "external party." He also vowed Thursday to hold to account those who committed violations against "our Druze people," after Druze leaders and Syrian government officials reached a ceasefire deal a day earlier, mediated by the United States, Turkey and Arab countries. Under the new agreement, Druze factions and clerics have been appointed to maintain internal security in Suwayda, al-Sharaa said in an address broadcast Thursday. WATCH | Syrian government will protect Druze, leader says: Samy Akil, a non-resident fellow at the Washington, D.C.-based Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, said there is division within the Druze community because of its numerous factions. He added that Israel is trying to exploit it for their own interests by strong-arming the Syrian government in its military intervention. "Druze do not have one unified leadership. If you were to ask Druze civil society which of the factions actually represent them or has the most support, they would tell you none of them," Akil said. "But Israel is trying to use the Druze card to kind of create divisions and sow divisions within Syrian society, which at the end of the day, if it has a policy which is driven off by keeping Syria weak and fragile and divided — that is the only rationale for it intervening yesterday and in the days before." Fear of violence erupting again But seeds of mistrust have already been sown, and efforts like the renewed truce deal and government vows to protect its minority groups are too little, too late, some experts say. "The issue is that the Syrian government has failed to live up to its expectations of being a government that can safely protect all of its citizens," Akil said in an interview with CBC News Thursday. "The situation has not been resolved. I fear that there will be a second phase in the days and weeks to come." WATCH | Akil says Syrian government failed 'litmus test': New government has failed to contain atrocities in southern Syria, research fellow says 3 hours ago Deadly clashes in Syria's southern province of Suwayda show the new regime is incapable of protecting all Syrians, including its minorities, says Samy Akil, a non-resident fellow at the Washington, D.C.-based Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy. Dozens have died after Syrian government officials tried to intervene following attacks between local Bedouin fighters and militias linked to the Druze minority over the last week, prompting Israeli airstrikes on Damascus Wednesday. Akil said that while the new Syrian government has made some gains, including the removal of suffocating Western sanctions placed on the country under the rule of Assad, it has failed to prioritize domestic security. "There has been too much effort on foreign relations and not enough attention to domestic tensions that have been rising up," he said. While the government has been saying "many of the right things," to unite communities, it has ultimately failed to "walk the talk," he said. Issam al-Reis, a senior military adviser with Etana, a Syrian research group, said the lack of "effective state-led negotiations" could sow further divisions between the Druze community and the Sunni Bedouins, who were largely able to coexist. "This is leading to militant sectarianism, which is dangerous," he told Reuters, adding it's a sign that the government needs to speed up its integration of other sects into the Syrian army, which could make it a more unifying force and help resolve sectarian tensions. "There have been agreements and talks about this with different communities, but until now, none of this has been implemented," he said.
