Netanyahu Reveals Phone Call to Syrian President Amid Druze Massacre

During a visit to the Druze town of Yarka in northern Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed details of a past, sharp phone call he had with Syrian President Ahmed al-Assad. Netanyahu spoke to Likud party members and supporters in Yarka, discussing Israel's dealings with Syria, a country where many Druze reside. He referenced past attempts by the Syrian regime to massacre its own people, specifically mentioning the events in the city of al-Suwayda.

Netanyahu disclosed that he directly contacted the then-new Syrian President al-Assad, ordering him to cease the killings and attacks against the Druze population in al-Suwayda. "When there was the massacre of our Druze brethren in Syria, I picked up the phone to Syrian President al-Assad and told him to stop," the Prime Minister stated.

The events in al-Suwayda occurred after similar bloody campaigns by the Syrian regime in other areas, including the Kurdish region and the Alawite districts along the coast, where thousands were killed in state-sponsored pogroms. Netanyahu revealed that Israel's actions, including a series of airstrikes on al-Assad's forces, helped halt the massacre in al-Suwayda. Since then, Israel has made it clear it will not tolerate threats against the Druze community. This phone call, previously undisclosed, highlights direct Israeli intervention during the crisis.