“We reaffirm that we have no dispute with anyone on any religious or ethnic basis. Shame and disgrace be upon all those who seek to sow discord and hatred in the minds of young people.”
—Druze religious and factional leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, who has been accused by Bedouin tribes and the Syrian government of fomenting unrest against the government
“We thank the Bedouin for their heroic stances, but demand that they fully commit to the ceasefire and comply with the state’s orders.”
—Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who has been accused of allowing his forces to commit atrocities against Druze in the city of Suwayda
“We will not leave until he turns himself in alongside those who tried to stir sedition.”
—Khaled al-Mohammad, a Bedouin tribal leader from Deir al-Zour whose fighters remain on the outskirts of Suwayda, referring to al-Hijri
Of late, clashes between Bedouin and Druze fighters in southern Syria and reports of atrocities by Bedouins and government troops have led to Israel carrying out airstrikes against the presidential palace and the headquarters of the Syrian defense forces in Damascus, as well as against Syrian government troops.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based group, over 1,000 people died in the clashes in Suwayda, among them 500 Druze. Of those, 194 were summarily executed by government forces, the Observatory claimed. Several hundred government troops were also killed.
A new ceasefire, announced late last week after an earlier one failed, appears to be holding. A thousand Israeli Druze who broke through the border between Israel and Syria to reach their loved ones, and in some cases fight to protect them, have mostly returned to Israel.
The conflict relates to longtime simmering hostilities and political tensions, but reports from the region are a mishmash of claims. Overall, the situation has resulted in further questions about the stability of Syria under its new government and whether minorities need to worry about their safety. It also seems to have put an end to the idea that Syria will join the Abraham Accords and make peace with Israel, at least for the moment.
Understanding the conflict requires knowledge of some of the figures and dynamics that led to these circumstances.
The sheikh who wouldn’t make peace
The Druze are a minority ethnic and religious group that broke off from Islam hundreds of years ago and are considered infidels by mainstream Islam. This has led to their persecution, including by Sunni Muslims like the Bedouin. The Druze, who do not accept converts, live mainly in Israel, Syria and Lebanon.
In Israel, they are required to serve in the IDF, unlike Muslims, and they are considered loyal citizens of the state. But Druze who live over the border in Syria, as well as some in the Golan Heights, don’t necessarily have the same positive view of Israel. During the most recent clash, it became clear that some Druze leaders do view Israel positively while others don’t.
The key figure with regard to the recent fighting is Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, who took over one of the three most important religious positions in the Druze world in 2012 after his brother died in a car accident. Al-Hijri was supportive of the Assad regime initially, only eventually turning against it. But he has been opposed to the new Syrian government from the start, saying that he would refuse to engage with it and that it is an extremist government.
That stance helped set the stage for the clashes that occurred last week. After Bedouin gunmen robbed a driver of Al-Hijri’s car on a road into the majority-Druze town of Suwayda, Druze and Bedouin fighters began attacking each other. Armed Sunni groups began heading toward Suwayda from all over the country.
Early calls by the Syrian government for a ceasefire were rejected by al-Hijri, who was called a secessionist by pro-government forces. Other Druze in Suwayda disagreed with his stance, but his importance meant that there wasn’t going to be a quick end to the conflict.
The entrance of government troops into Suwayda, in turn, led to blatant atrocities, according to observers, with summary executions and other violent behaviors, including the alleged public shaving of Druze men’s mustaches and other acts intended to humiliate them. There have also been videos showing Druze fighters holding Bedouin civilians hostage, leading to increased violence between the two sides.
At that point, Sheikh al-Hijri issued a statement calling for US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman and Jordan’s King Abdullah to save Suwayda. The only one who took military action was Netanyahu.
The willingness of al-Hijri to call upon the Israelis to intercede lines up with the rumors that he has maintained contact with the religious leader of the Israeli Druze, Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif, for years, despite Syria’s belligerence toward Israel. Other Druze leaders in Syria have been openly hostile to Israel, with some of them blasting the IDF for its airstrikes intended to protect the Druze.
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