‘Israel saved the Druze, Syria is headed for partition,' leader of Syrian Druze tells Israeli newspaper

Half a year after Bedouin tribes supported by government troops killed hundreds of Syrian Druze, the community’s spiritual leader in the Suwaydah province, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, thanked Israel for its support and affirmed that he sees the southern Syrian Druze as part of the Jewish State’s “strategic framework.” 

Speaking with Ynet News for an in-depth interview, Hijri described the current government as “an ISIS-style government, established as a direct continuation of al-Qaeda.” 

“The only crime for which we were murdered was being Druze,” he said. The government is led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, former leader of the now-disbanded Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, a group that had affiliations with al-Qaeda and whose leaders, many of whom now dominate the new government apparatus, continue to hold Islamist convictions. 

The government's military was created by unifying various former rebel groups, many of whom are also former terrorists and participated in massacres against the country’s Alawite and Druze communities, as well as harassment and attacks against Christians and Kurds. 

“The previous regime also acted against us, but the current one is the most brutal. They do not want to eliminate only the Druze, but any minority that is not like them,” explained Hijri. 

Last July, government troops joined Bedouin tribes in a broad-scale attack against Druze living in the southern Syrian province of Suwaydah, killing some 2,000 people amid summary executions, rape and other abuses. 

“This was a decision by Syria’s dark regime and by all the terrorist groups operating from Damascus. It was genocide,” charged Hijri. 

He is one of three key sheikhs leading southern Syria’s Druze community, alongside Yousef Jarbou and Hammoud al-Hanawi. Jarbou has advocated continuing the outreach and talks with the new government, while Hijri has led the faction advocating for independence. 

“The latest massacre proved that we cannot rely on anyone else to protect our community,” he said.  

Israel supported the Druze community by carrying out several airstrikes meant to deter the government from sending more troops to the south. 

“It is no secret that Israel was the only country in the world that intervened militarily and saved us from genocide as it was happening. That was done through airstrikes that truly stopped the massacre.” 

On the other hand, he expressed disappointment with the Arab states in the region. “There is not a single Arab country that supported us. They chose to stand with the murderer, not the victim,” he charged. 

Hijri leads the Druze faction that strongly advocated strengthening ties to Israel, and possibly even joining the state in some capacity. 

“Israel is a state governed by law and international norms. That is the ideology we aspire to. We are peace-seeking, not aggressive, and we want to preserve our unique character,” he said. 

Hijri also noted that the Druze community sees itself “as an inseparable part of Israel’s strategic framework, as an arm that has allied with Israel. The relationship is international and significant. Israel is the only responsible and competent actor for future arrangements.” 

Syria will not survive as a unified state, Hijri predicted. “Syria is heading toward partition and the creation of autonomous, independent regions. That is the future. This is how a better future for minorities and regional stability across the Middle East will be built.” 

“We demand not only self-administration but an independent Druze region.” 

Relations with the government in Damascus are still tense. He said that it still holds more than 200 hostages, including children whose fate remains unknown, and continues to besiege the province. 

“Since July 2025, we have been living in a state of full mobilization. Young and old alike are enlisted to defend our homes and our very existence.” 

Suwayda province is still cut off from the rest of the country, and even patients reportedly can’t seek treatment in hospitals outside the province. Meanwhile, Israel has continued to treat hundreds of Druze patients in its hospitals. 

Hijri has become the community’s main leader in recent months, amid a series of arrests of rival leaders who were accused of treason and collaboration with Damascus.  

In November, two rival sheikhs turned up dead after being detained and allegedly tortured by forces of his newly established National Guard. 

He has also drawn strong criticism in Syria for advocating not just for Druze independence, but calling on other minorities to revolt against the government. In December, Hijri published a call to Alawite Sheikh Ghazal Ghazal to determine “his community’s fate”.