Syrian Druze Show Support for Israel and Netanyahu
Translated & summarized from Kipa by baba
Druze residents in Syria's Suwayda province held a rare demonstration of solidarity with Israel, marking three years since the October 7 Hamas attack. Participants displayed Israeli flags and images of Prime Minister Netanyahu and Druze leader Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif. This display of support is linked to recent Israeli military interventions in Syria aimed at protecting Druze civilians and the historical alliance between Israel and the Druze community.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Druze residents in Syria's Suwayda province demonstrated solidarity with Israel.
- The event marked three years since the October 7 Hamas attack.
- Participants displayed Israeli flags and images of PM Netanyahu and Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif.
- This follows previous pro-Israel displays and Israeli military interventions in the region.
- The gesture highlights the alliance between Israel and the Druze community.
In an unusual display, Druze residents in the Suwayda province of southern Syria held a demonstration of solidarity with Israel on Wednesday, marking three years since the Hamas attack of October 7. The event is particularly striking as it occurred in Syria, a predominantly Arab and Muslim country still officially considered an enemy state by Israel.
Footage from the province showed participants marching through the streets of Suwayda city to express sympathy for the victims of the October 7 massacre. They displayed images of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel, alongside Israeli flags. One vehicle in the procession featured an Israeli license plate.
Participants voiced support for Israel and the IDF. This is not the first instance of pro-Israel sentiment in Suwayda; Israeli flags have been seen there previously, and calls for Israeli intervention to protect the Druze have been made in the past year.
The gesture comes amid strengthening ties between Israel and the Druze in Syria, particularly since the fall of the Assad regime and the rise of Ahmad al-Shar'a. During intense clashes in Suwayda, forces aligned with the Syrian government were accused of harming Druze civilians, prompting Israeli military intervention with airstrikes on regime targets to halt the violence. In March, the IDF again struck al-Shar'a regime infrastructure following attacks on Druze civilians.
This support also reflects the long-standing alliance between Israel and the Druze community within Israel. Druze citizens have served and fallen in the IDF since the October 7 attacks, and their leaders in Israel have advocated for aid to their brethren across the border. Sheikh Tarif has previously thanked Israel for its intervention in Suwayda, stating that without it, the Druze in the province would have faced grave danger.
