by Dr. Mordechai Kedar
Translated from Hebrew by Sally Zahav
The Druze in Syria are in a dangerous situation. They are torn between conflicting loyalties, are fearful of all sides, whether it is because they are not Muslims or whether it is because of their geographical situation, since they are gathered into three concentrations that can easily be surrounded and cut off.
The decision makers in Israel have been concerned with the fate of the Druze in Syria for some time, and during the past two weeks the media have been dealing energetically with matter as a result of a few incidents, especially the attack on IDF ambulances that were bringing some wounded from Syria for treatment in Israel. In two incidents the Druze attacked those ambulances, claiming that the wounded were fighters for Jabhat al-Nusra, an organization of Syrian rebels that is a branch of al-Qaeda in Syria and threatens the Druze for being heretics according to Islam.
Israel does not officially support Jabhat al-Nusra, and it claims that treatment is given to the wounded that are brought to the border fence for humanitarian reasons, regardless of what organization they belong to. Some of the Druze do not buy this story, and have been harshly critical for a long time about the medical treatment being given to the organization’s soldiers. It could be that Israel gives such support to the organization because it presents the greatest threat to the Asad regime, and apparently, Israel is interested in getting rid of Asad, the main ally of the Iranians in the area, which would also weaken Hizb’Allah significantly.
However, attacking ambulances that are bringing in wounded is an act that cannot be tolerated, and these two incidents have brought about the meeting this week of Druze leaders in Israel along with those in the Golan, to issue condemnations and denounce the handful of hotheads that attacked the wounded, one of whom was killed in the assault. They called on their community to act only according to laws of the state and to totally refrain from carrying out acts that are against the law and customary rules of humanitarian support in Israel. The leaders understand that the Druze community in Israel cannot wage wars that are contrary to the state’s position, because they would then be placing themselves in direct conflict with the state’s institutions.
The Druze are also aware that medical treatment given to the wounded of Jabhat al-Nusra allows Israel to set the boundaries of activities for this organization, and to instruct it not to harm the Druze in Syria. However, this is not guaranteed, since there have already been a number of incidents when the organization has attacked Druze, in the Khader enclave on the slopes of Mount Hermon and near Idlib in northern Syria, in which incidents a few dozen Druze were killed.
Nevertheless, the establishment is listening to the concerns of the Druze and it may be that a more discreet way to treat the wounded of Jabhat al-Nusra will be found, because those who are hospitalized in Israel say openly, to the cameras, that if they meet a Druze or a Shi’ite they will kill him. It seems that receiving medical treatment in Israel does not alter the jihadists’ attitude toward infidels. What is their attitude toward the Jews? On the other hand, there are rumors that Druze roam the hospitals to photograph the hospitalized Jabhat al-Nusra fighters so that they will be able to identify them in the future and settle accounts with them.
The Druze in Syria
The Druze in Israel are concerned, and very rightly so, about the fate of their brothers in Syria, especially in light of the world’s silence regarding the genocide that was perpetrated against the Yazidis, whose men were murdered or forced to convert, and whose women and girls are sold in the slave market. The Druze know that if they could, the jihadists of the Islamic State would do to the Druze exactly what they do to the Yazidis. That is why the Druze cling to Asad with all their might and despite the fact that Asad’s situation is deteriorating in all battle fronts, they remain loyal to him.
They hear the voices in Israel that call for establishing a protected area in Suwayda for the Druze, to attach them to Jordan or to Israel. These voices worry the Druze leaders in Syria considerably, because they create the impression that the Druze are not loyal to the regime, or that they have become loyal to Israel. Such a depiction of the Druze might turn the rage of Asad’s soldiers’ against them on one hand, and the rebel jihadists on the other hand, because no one is a Zionist there.
This week some of the leaders of the Syrian Druze community met in Suwayda, the capital of Druze Mountain, in the southern part of Syria near the Jordanian border, and issued the following manifesto:
"We, the sons of the Suwayda region, heads of civil and social organizations, intellectuals, academicians and religious leaders, declare that our defense depends exclusively on our Syrian identity, and that Suwayda is an integral part of Syria, our mother country. Likewise, we reject any attempt to represent us as anything other than purely Syrian and we reject any declarations that have come from the Zionist entity and their claims that they fear for the fate of the people of Suwayda. We see these declarations and claims as part of their plan to dismantle the area. We do not accept and will not permit this, and we emphasize that we have no need for anyone to defend us. We are proud of being one of the components that constitute the Syrian people, a component that tries to exemplify the highest order of citizenship. We are proud of being Syrian, and it is our only basis for security, and our first and last choice. Suwayda, 23rd of June, 2015.”
This manifesto is signed by Druze, Christian and Muslim leaders, and is published by the media. Outwardly, this document expresses the desire to cling to the Asad regime as a defense against jihadi wars, despite the dangerous proximity of these wars to the Druze areas, and despite the fact that the Asad regime is failing to defend them. In recent weeks a number of military bases have fallen into the hands of Jabhat al-Nusra in southern Syria and the army has transferred some of its heavy weaponry to the Qalamoun Mountains, abandoning the Druze to their fate. As a result of this, one of the Druze religious leaders has appealed to Druze soldiers serving in Asad’s army to defect with their arms and join their families to defend them from both the regime and the jihadists.
Until about two months ago, Hizb’Allah, Asad’s ally, had been protecting the Druze in the enclave of Khader, but they have withdrawn from the area in order to join their brothers in Qalamoun Mountains. Also, the fact that Israel has eliminated one of their commanders – Jihad Mughniyah, the son of Imad Mughniyah – along with an Iranian General last January, did not increase Hizb’Allah’s motivation to remain in the area to defend the Druze.
All of the above appears openly in the media, but behind the scenes a great drama is being played out with the participation of Jordan and the United States, because all of the involved parties know exactly what might be the fate of the Druze when Asad falls. It is safe to assume that the manifesto is intended to camouflage the truth, which is different, to a greater or lesser extent, from what is written there, since the Druze are not sure yet that Asad will fall and perhaps they still hope that the Iranians will invade Syria in order to rescue Asad and put an end to the rebellion against him. It is also reasonable to assume that this manifesto does not express the position of the entire community, and that part of the community does not support what is written there.
The Druze in Syria are in a dangerous situation. They are torn between conflicting loyalties, are fearful of all sides, whether it is because they are not Muslims or whether it is because of their geographical situation, since they are gathered into three concentrations that can easily be surrounded and cut off. A willingness to accept support from Israel will make them vulnerable to revenge from Asad as well as the jihadists, and refusal to accept such help might leave them defenseless. They do not have unified leadership that is capable of presenting a coherent position, and it is difficult to believe what is disseminated in the media about this or that leader’s stance.
The overriding goal of all the Druze is to survive, as they have survived for a thousand years within a hostile Islamic environment, but the question is how to survive and what steps are required to achieve this. The answers that are given in response to this question are various and contradictory, and we can only hope that the Druze’s complex situation and the division among them will not bring this wonderful community to the jihadist’s knives and its females to the Islamic State’s slave market.
Dr. Mordechai Kedar
Source: Written for Arutz 7
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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