Who are the Druze and Why is Israel Attacking Syria?

The Druze Community

• ☪️ The Druze are an Arab ethnoreligious group whose faith originated from a branch of Islam in the 11th century.
• 🤫 They maintain a degree of secrecy regarding their religious practices, leading some hardline Sunni Muslims to consider them heretics.
• 🌍 Druze communities are found in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Israel, including the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Druze Demographics and Influence

• 📈 In Syria, they are concentrated in the southern region of Sweida and near the Golan, with an estimated population of around 1 million.
• 🇮🇱 In Israel, approximately 150,000 Druze reside primarily in the north and the Golan Heights.
• 🎖️ Unlike many Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel, a significant number of Druze Arabs serve in the Israeli military and police, holding high ranks and influencing Israeli political leadership.
• 🗺️ Many Druze in the occupied Golan still identify as Syrian, despite living under Israeli control.

Israel's Involvement in Syria

• 🎯 Facing calls from Israeli Druze to assist their Syrian counterparts, Israeli leaders have cited the protection of the Druze minority as a reason for repeated attacks on Syria.
• ⚔️ Israel has frequently bombed Syria, aiming to counter the influence of Iran and its backed groups, and has expressed concerns about the new Syrian government deploying forces near its border.
• 🤝 Israel states its goals are to prevent hostile buildups at its border while also protecting the Druze minority.
• 🗣️ Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharah has accused Israel of promoting division among Syrians and seeking to dismantle their unity.