Netanyahu vows to protect Syrian Druze, pledges expanded humanitarian aid and military action if necessary

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Thursday with Druze leaders in the northern Israeli town of Julis. During the talks, he pledged that Israel would take active steps to safeguard Syria’s Druze community in Sweida, which faces threats from Islamist factions.

The Israeli government has long maintained close ties with its Druze community, which is deeply integrated into Israeli society and whose members typically serve in the military. During the meeting in Julis, Netanyahu said he was deeply moved by remarks from Druze religious leader Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif, who highlighted the defenselessness of Jews during the Holocaust.

"The Jews in the Holocaust called for help, and no one came," Tarif reportedly said, something that Netanyahu described as "a dart to the heart."

"We are brothers. Will Israel not extend a hand to save our Druze brothers? And we acted. When I understood the magnitude of the disaster, we acted immediately," Netanyahu stated.

In March, the prime minister pledged that Israel would, if necessary, use military force to defend the Druze community in Syria from attacks by Islamist groups aligned with the Damascus regime.

"We will not allow the terrorist regime of radical Islam in Syria to harm the Druze," he stated. "If the regime harms the Druze, it will be harmed by us. We are committed to our Druze brothers in Israel to do everything to prevent harm to their Druze brothers in Syria, and we will take all necessary steps to maintain their security."

In July, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) carried out airstrikes on Syrian regime–aligned Islamist targets in Damascus and on forces that had attacked the local Druze community. At the time, Defense Minister Israel Katz demanded that the Syrian government withdraw its military forces from the Druze region.

Netanyahu personally toured a civilian operations center in Julis, set up to monitor the precarious situation of the Druze community in neighboring Syria.

He also met with the family of Druze IDF soldier Amir Abdullah Saad, who was killed in combat against Hamas in Gaza. Netanyahu praised Saad, saying he fought “with supreme courage for Israel’s security.”

Addressing the situation in Syria, the prime minister stressed that he fully understood the threats facing the local Druze community there.

"I understand who and what we are dealing with," he said, adding that both he and U.S. President Donald Trump believe that strength is needed to secure peace in the tough Middle East region.

"Both of us believe in peace through strength. First comes strength, then peace. That's how it is, especially in our region," he told them.

Netanyahu said Israel seeks to establish a demilitarized zone in Sweida to prevent Islamist forces from endangering the Druze community. He added that Israel also aims to expand humanitarian assistance to Syria’s Druze population, with a focus on food, medical aid, and construction materials.

"These discussions are taking place right now, at this very moment," Netanyahu said.