Syria's top Druze leader calls community 'integral part of Israel'

This week, Syria's Kurdish minority agreed to dissolve their nearly 14-year independent rule. The Kurds consolidated their authority over northeastern Syria during the civil war and wanted to maintain it post-war. However, Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi stated that circumstances have changed. Kurdish forces will now be integrated into the general Syrian military, and their oil-rich territory will come under central government control.

Sweida province, home to Syria's Druze minority, remains the only area not accepting central government authority. This change in the Kurdish situation will undoubtedly impact Sweida, according to experts.

Mazloum Abdi and Druze leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri were coordinating their efforts, sharing a similar political vision for Syria. They advocated for a decentralized Syria with autonomous regions, including an autonomous zone for the Druze. However, this vision is now considered unfeasible, effectively ending the fragmented, weak, and decentralized Syria concept.

In Sweida, Druze leader Hikmat al-Hijiri declared the Druze an inseparable part of the state of Israel. While this may seem easy on paper, it is difficult to achieve due to geographical and demographic factors. Sweida is still dependent on the central Syrian government for public services, salaries, pensions, power, and water. The exclusion of government forces from Sweida started after intercommunal violence in July 2025, which killed over 1,700 people.

Following the violence, trust in the new Syrian government has eroded significantly. Some Druze now question whether a united Syria is better than a semi-autonomous Druze state. The Druze community's priority is security, dignity, and prosperity, which appear unattainable under the current Syrian government. In September, a road map to repair relations with Jordanian and American negotiators was formulated, but the Druze, allied with al-Hijiri, rejected the plan and the central government has done little to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The Syrian government's approach to the Sweida issue is to avoid large-scale military confrontations that could further alienate the local community and invite external actors to intervene. Instead, they are focusing on calming the situation and utilizing state tools for security, administration, and economic stability. However, the reality is that the majority of Sweida residents do not want to integrate with the current government, while opponents of al-Hijiri have been forced out, abducted, or killed, leading to further tension.