Head of Israel’s Druze Community Calls on IDF To Stand Up for Druze in Syria
At a Memorial Day ceremony on Wednesday in the Druze town of Usfiya, the spiritual leader of the Druze in Israel called on Israeli leaders to respond to violence against the Druze community in Syria.
Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif spoke at the event commemorating Druze soldiers who fell in service for Israel. Alongside Jews and Circassians, Druze men in Israel are conscripted into compulsory military service.
“I urge the state of Israel, the international community, and the Jewish people to act immediately to prevent a massacre,” Tarif said. “Israel must not stand idly by while this is happening in Syria.”
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His comments followed violence that erupted Tuesday in the predominantly Druze town of Jaramana in Syria, triggered by a voice recording allegedly of a Druze leader insulting the Prophet Muhammad. At least 22 people were killed in clashes that spilled over into nearby Sahnaya, including Druze fighters and Syrian security personnel.
Later on Wednesday, Israel announced that it had carried out an airstrike in Syria targeting a gathering of an armed group accused of planning further attacks on Druze civilians.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the strike, stating, “Israel will not allow harm to come to the Druze community in Syria.”
Three Syrian Druze wounded in the violence were evacuated to Israel for medical care.
In addition to the 125,000 or so Druze living in Israel proper, around 25,000 Druze live in the Golan Heights, which Israel acquired in 1967. Many of those Druze maintained their Syrian citizenship rather than choosing to become Israeli citizens and maintained close ties with relatives across the Syrian border.
