Israel Launches Airstrikes Against Syria to Protect Druze Minority

What Happened?

Israel launched air strikes against Syria to protect Druze minority inhabitants of Sweida, a province in southern Syria near the Israeli-Jordanian border. Israel has close relations with its own Druze minority, and after the fall of the Assad regime Israel’s government promised to protect Syrian Druze from attack.

The Israeli defense minister issued a statement on Wednesday promising to increase airstrikes on Syrian forces unless they withdrew from Sweida immediately. Syria’s new government has condemned Israel’s attacks but stopped short of threatening any direct retaliation against Israel.

Why it Matters

Violent clashes have broken out in Syria during the past few weeks, and the new government has struggled to control sections of the country farther away from the capital of Damascus. One of the areas where violent conflict has been most severe is the province of Sweida, where a sizable Druze minority has been engaged in a power struggle with nearby Bedouin tribes for control of the area.

Syria is home to the largest Druze population in the world, who comprise roughly three percent of Syria’s own population. The Druze religion shares some elements of faith and theology with Judaism, including reverence for some of the same historical figures. Israel also has a sizable Druze minority, making up about two percent of the population. 

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The Druze have long faced many dangers in Syria, including several massacres and efforts to systematically destroy their temples. The more radical and extreme Islamist movements such as ISIS regard the Druze as heretics. And without a government capable of maintaining order in Syria, groups looking to settle old scores have seized the chance provided by the collapse of the Assad regime.

Syria’s current regime did send tanks to Sweida, but it is unclear if those forces were there to try to stop the conflict or to help local Islamist groups in their campaign against the Druze. Israel believes the latter, which is why the Israeli Air Force launched a series of airstrikes against Syrian government forces, in particular destroying many of the tanks Damascus had sent to Sweida. 

The Trump Administration has asked Israel to refrain from further attacks on Syria and called for negotiations. But with the conflict in Sweida still raging it is unlikely Israel will stop carrying out airstrikes until they believe the Druze are safe. Israel occupied an area of southern Syria including parts of Sweida after the fall of Assad, their intervention there against Syrian government forces could trigger a ground war between the new Syrian government and Israel.

How it Affects You

Despite a string of recent military successes by Israel against Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthi, there remains a lot of danger to Israel on its borders. Unlike Iran or the Houthi who are hundreds of miles away, Syria shares a border with Israel and could choose to launch ground attacks against its neighbor.