Syria’s Druze: Caught Between Old Loyalties And New Threats – The Cradle

March 7, 2025 TheMcgwire

Syria’s Druze: Caught Between Old Loyalties And New Threats

In HTS-governed Syria, the Druze community faces an uncertain future – caught between Salafi extremist rule, Israeli overtures, and their historical fight for self-preservation. Whether they secure autonomy or become geopolitical pawns, their next move will impact the region.

The Druze neighborhood of Jaramana, near Damascus, was the first bloody flashpoint in the latest developments concerning this Syrian minority community. On 1 March, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)-led security forces and the Druze clashed for the first time, resulting in one death and nine injuries. What unfolds next will have profound implications, especially in Suwayda and its surrounding areas, where the Druze community is densely concentrated.

Understanding the evolving dynamic between the Druze and the new Syrian administration is impossible without factoring in Israel’s recent maneuvers in Syria. Tel Aviv has been working to establish a legal and operational foothold in southern Syria under the guise of supporting the Druze. This shift in policy saw Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instruct the Israeli military to “protect” a community that had long resisted Israeli overtures.

A history of resistance and hard choices

This is not the first time Syria’s Druze have faced a historical crossroads. Nearly a century ago, the French offered them autonomy, an attractive proposition that was ultimately rejected. Instead, they fiercely resisted French rule between 1925 and 1927, and later played a significant role in Syria’s fight for independence in 1947 under the leadership of Sultan Pasha al-Atrash. Now, the Druze find themselves at another pivotal moment, but the conditions have changed dramatically.

The regime change war in Syria, which spanned nearly 14 years, culminated in the collapse of the government of former president Bashar al-Assad last December. Virtually all civilian actors who shaped the early uprising have been sidelined.

🔗SOURCE ➡️ The Cradle

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