Syria Just Gave Israel Free Reign To Expand!

Right, so how to give Israel the excuse to keep on invading Syria in one easy step? Keep attacking minorities Israel are claiming they are there to defend. This is of course rancid hypocrisy from Israel given their treatment of Palestinians, yet it is now their justification for invading Syria – because Al Sharaa and his administration of Al Qaeda leftovers are doing in Syria exactly what Israel are doing in Palestine.
The recent deployment of Syrian government forces to the Druze-majority neighbourhood of Jaramana, near Damascus, has raised alarm bells about the new Syrian administration’s approach to ethnic and religious minorities. Syria’s new government is literally giving Israel a green light to continue its expansionist policies in southern Syria by targeting Druze communities, who Israel profess to love, but for whom warnings have been issued from amongst their own people in other areas and other states.
This move not only exacerbates the targeting of the Druze people but also provides Israel with a convenient excuse to justify its ongoing invasions under the guise of “protecting minorities.” Syrian stupidity is playing into Israel’s hands and it is the Druze and other minorities that are getting caught in the crossfire.
Right, so lets take a look at the Druze first and foremost if you haven’t heard of them before, or only in passing. They are a distinct religious and ethnic group living in the Middle East, primarily concentrated in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel - they are notably present in the Israeli occupied Golan Heights, integrated into Israeli society by and large as they have been there, so there’s a passing impression they are pro Israel on the whole, not helped when many Israeli Druze are avowed Zionists themselves and this is a belief Israel are seeking to exploit as they push further into Syria.
Numbering around one million globally, so there’s not a huge number of them, the Druze practice an 11th century offshoot of Islam, but despite their small numbers, the Druze have played a significant role in the political and social fabric of the region. In Syria, they constitute about 3% of the population and have historically maintained a delicate balance of loyalty to the state while preserving their distinct identity and they’ve done this in other nations they are present in as well, politically present in Lebanon for example, most Lebanese Druze are members of the left wing Progressive Socialist Party, which is a pretty stark contrast to Israeli Zionism as many Israeli Druze conform to.
Anyway, to the ones living in Syria. The Druze community in Jaramana, south of Damascus, is particularly significant. Jaramana has become a refuge for displaced Syrians from other minority groups joining this mainly Druze community, including Christians and Alawites, who fled their homes during the Syrian civil war, therefore you’ve got this assortment of ethnicities in Jaramana, right on the edge of Damascus itself, representing Syria’s broader ethnic and religious diversity. However, the recent deployment of Syrian government forces to the area, ostensibly to “end chaos,” that has been triggered by Israel’s ongoing invasion of southern Syria and the fact militias have been popping up across that region has raised concerns about the new administration’s commitment to protecting minority rights.
The Syrian government’s decision to deploy forces to Jaramana under the pretext of restoring order, when the main reason for these militias has been Syria’s refusal to engage with Israel directly despite their ongoing invasion and seizure of Syrian territory has been met with skepticism and fear amongst these threatened communities. The Syrian deployment follows weeks of unrest in Druze villages, however, it has been argued that the move is part of a broader pattern of targeting minority communities to consolidate power for Al-Sharaa’s administration and suppress dissent, as we’ve seen happening across Syria since the fall of Assad and the coming to power of this HTS led government. By framing its actions as a response to chaos, the Syrian administration is effectively justifying its heavy-handed tactics while ignoring the root causes of the unrest and the concerns of the people lying in front of incoming Israeli forces.
This has played directly into Israel’s hands. Since the fall of Assad, Israel has justified its increasing incursions into southern Syria by saying they are threatened by the new administration, despite Israel having backed these same people with financial and medical aid to bring down Assad, destabilising Syria being Israel’s desire, yet now, by claiming to protect minority groups, notably the Druze, from the Al Sharaa regime they are excusing still further intrusion into Syrian territory, with that new Syrian regime, giving them the excuse to do so with their very real clampdowns on minorities.
However, there is no escaping the colossal show of hypocrisy here, given Israel’s own treatment of Palestinians and its long history of exploiting sectarian divisions that have sown discord across the Middle East for decades.
While claiming to defend the Druze and other minorities in Syria, Israel continues to oppress Palestinians in the occupied territories, denying them basic rights and perpetuating a system of apartheid. The Druze in Israel itself, who serve in the Israeli military, have long been used as a propaganda tool to legitimise the state’s policies. However, as Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt has pointed out, Israel’s exploitation of the Druze is ultimately aimed at suppressing Palestinians and expanding its territorial control. More from this chap in a moment.
In Israel, the Druze are recognized as a distinct religious community and have been granted certain privileges, including the right to serve in the military. However, this relationship is deeply controversial, as many Druze elsewhere see it as a form of co-option that undermines their solidarity with other Arab communities, other Druze communities and particularly the Palestinians.
In Syria, the Druze have historically maintained a pragmatic relationship with the Assad regime, balancing loyalty to the state with a commitment to preserving their autonomy. However, that relationship grew increasingly strained in the last 18 months or so of the Syrian civil war, and even more so now as the new regime has targeted Druze communities amongst others in its efforts to crush dissent. The deployment of Syrian forces to Jaramana is just the latest example of this therefore, and it has further alienated the Druze in Syria from the government.
By targeting Druze communities, the Al Sharaa regime is not only alienating a key minority group but also providing Israel with a pretext to escalate its incursions into southern Syria, by claiming the Druze as their allies, even though they both are and aren’t depending on where they are. This dynamic underscores the broader tragedy of the Syrian conflict, in which minority groups are repeatedly sacrificed on the altar of political expediency.
As we should all be more aware of by now, Israel are seeking to destabilising southern Syria in an effort to weaken the Syrian state and create a buffer zone that enhances their own security and if exploiting some sectarian divisions and minorities helps them do that, then so much the better.
By presenting itself as the protector of minority groups, Israel aims to legitimise its presence in southern Syria and undermine the legitimacy of the Syrian government, who are doing a good enough job of that on their own quite frankly. However, it is getting called out on the political stage by the right people, as this excerpt from the Quds News Network explains:
‘Druze leader and former head of the [Lebanese] Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt, has stated that Zionism is exploiting the Druze community to suppress the Palestinian people. He warned that Israel’s ambitions include expanding into the Druze-majority region of Jabal Al-Arab in Syria, raising concerns about potential civil war fuelled by Israel.
Jumblatt made these remarks following an emergency meeting of the General Assembly of the Druze Religious Council in Beirut. The meeting focused on the ongoing developments in Lebanon and Syria.
“Zionism uses the Druze as soldiers and officers to suppress the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank,” Jumblatt stated. “Now, they want to target Jabal Al-Arab in Syria.”
He added, “They aim to manipulate the weak-minded. The Syrian people know what is happening, and I will go to Damascus to confirm that the Druze’s reference point remains Syria.”’
Jabal Al-Arab is the Druze terminology for the Syrian governate of Suwayda, which Israel have warned the Syrian army is now off limits to them and where local militias have been springing up to face Israel, including amongst the Druze there.
The scapegoating of the Druze in southern Syria is an excuse coming from both Israel and Syria’s new government.
The Syrian government’s actions in Jaramana and Israel’s incursions into southern Syria are not only a betrayal of the Druze but also a threat to the broader stability of the region as both sides make their excuses for that. The Druze, like all people, deserve to live in dignity and security, free from the threat of violence and oppression, right now they are facing that from both directions and serves no other purpose than destabilising the Middle east still further.
For more on Israel’s de facto annexation of Suwayda, as well as in Quneitra and Daraa in southern Syria, all now leading them towards Jaramana and potentially directly onto Damascus from there, where exactly are Israel’s limits? Is it all part of the Greater Israel plan moving forwards? Check out this video recommendation here as your suggested next watch. Please do also hit like, share and subscribe if you haven’t done so already so as to ensure you don’t miss out on all new content published daily as well as supporting the channel at the same time which is very much appreciated, holding power to account for ordinary working class people and I will hopefully catch you on the next vid. Cheers folks.