Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Thursday with Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of the Druze community, in the northern village of Joulis, as regional tensions and humanitarian concerns mount over recent violence in southern Syria.
The meeting, attended by senior Druze leaders, centered on the escalating conflict across the border and its devastating toll on Syrian Druze civilians, particularly in the province of Suwayda. Netanyahu used the occasion to express solidarity with the Druze community, both within Israel and across the border, and to underscore Israel’s strategic and humanitarian interests in the region.
“I am not naïve, I know exactly who we are dealing with and what we are facing. That is why we have used force,” Netanyahu stated, referencing Israeli military operations in Syria. His comments were reported by Sky News Arabia and echoed across Israeli media outlets.
Mounting Casualties in Syria’s Druze Heartland
The Israeli prime minister condemned what he described as an ongoing massacre targeting Druze civilians in Syria, pledging to bring global attention to the crisis. “We are witnessing the scale of the massacre unfolding. Its depth and extent are revealed more and more each day,” Netanyahu said. “We are working to present these realities to the world and to decision-makers in the international community.”
In recent weeks, the predominantly Druze province of Suwayda has seen a spike in violence amid broader instability in southern Syria, with reports of civilian casualties triggering concern among Israel’s Druze minority, many of whom have familial or communal ties to the region.
Security Talks and Humanitarian Coordination
Netanyahu confirmed that advanced security negotiations are underway between Israeli and Syrian interlocutors, aimed at de-escalating tensions along the northern frontier. These talks reportedly include discussions on establishing new coordination mechanisms and potentially designating southern Syria as a demilitarized zone.
He emphasized the importance of raising the plight of Syrian Druze on the international stage, not only as a moral imperative but also as a factor to bolster the legitimacy of any future Israeli security actions.
“This is not only a matter of shared concern, it is a matter of shared humanity and strategic importance,” Netanyahu said, reaffirming his government’s commitment to the Druze population inside Israel and its role in national security.
Druze Leadership Urges Protection for Suwayda
Following the meeting, Sheikh Tarif’s office published a statement on Facebook outlining the key points discussed with the Israeli prime minister. According to the statement, Netanyahu was briefed in detail on the operations of a newly established monitoring and assessment center that tracks real-time developments in Suwayda province.
Tarif also raised the ongoing negotiations regarding southern Syria, insisting that any future agreement must ensure the safety and stability of Druze communities in the region. “The protection of our people in Suwayda must be a cornerstone of any arrangement,” he was quoted as saying.
The statement further revealed that Israel is actively considering several humanitarian options, including the creation of humanitarian corridors to facilitate aid delivery or safe passage. One of the proposals reportedly under consideration is the formal declaration of southern Syria as a demilitarized zone, a move that would require international coordination.
Balancing Security and Solidarity
The visit highlights Israel’s complex balancing act in dealing with the crisis in Syria, navigating military concerns along its northern border, supporting a key minority community domestically, and advocating for humanitarian considerations on the international stage.
Netanyahu concluded the meeting by reiterating the government’s commitment to the Druze community, calling it a “partnership based on solidarity.” He pledged to continue addressing both the security challenges facing Israel and the humanitarian crisis impacting Syria’s Druze population.
The meeting marks one of the highest-profile Israeli acknowledgments of the ongoing conflict in Suwayda, signaling a growing convergence of humanitarian advocacy and national security in Israel’s foreign policy calculus.
