Israel draws line in sand over Druze atrocities

In the past few days, senior Israeli officials have issued some of their strongest warnings yet to Syria’s government, as reports mount of atrocities being carried out against the Druze community in southern Syria. Israeli airstrikes hit near Damascus, including close to the presidential palace, as Defence Minister Yoav Gallant declared that Israel “will not stand by while our Druze brothers are targeted”.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reinforced the message, saying, “Israel views attacks on the Druze with utmost seriousness. Our red lines are clear.”

This unusually forceful stance reflects more than regional strategy, it’s deeply personal. The Druze aren’t just a minority group under threat across the border. In Israel, they are an integral part of the national fabric. Druze men serve in the Israel Defense Forces, many in elite units. Their fallen are buried in military cemeteries. Their officers command Jewish soldiers. In Israel, the Druze are family, and that family is under siege.

Mansoor Ashkahr, a former member of Israel’s elite special forces now living in Germany, has close ties to the Druze communities in Syria. He described the unfolding horror to me.

“By the end of last week, at least 500 Druze had been killed,” he said. “Thirty sheikhs have been kidnapped. This is an October 7th happening for the Druze, and nobody is paying attention. We are being wiped out.”

Ashkahr said many Druze would desperately like to escape Syria and seek refuge in Israel. “They have nowhere to run. They would love to come to Israel. They appreciate the airstrikes, but if Israel could send boots on the ground, it would mean everything.”

The latest round of violence erupted in the Suwayda region, located about 100km south of Damascus. The immediate cause appears to have been a manipulated audio recording falsely attributed to a Druze religious leader that insulted Islamic figures, igniting a wave of sectarian backlash. But many analysts believe this incident was merely a pretext for a crackdown on a minority group that has long insisted on a degree of autonomy and refused to pledge blind loyalty to the Assad regime or, more recently, to his successor, Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Ashkahr was unequivocal: “This is a massacre. The new regime is conducting a systematic campaign against us, and the world is silent.”

The silence is deafening for many in Israel, too. While the Jewish state has long operated humanitarian corridors for wounded Syrians, including Druze, this moment feels different. It’s not just about humanitarian aid, it’s about drawing a clear line in defence of a people who have stood shoulder to shoulder with Israel since the state’s founding.

The Druze of Israel number about 150 000. They vote, serve, lead, and die in defence of the state. But many also have relatives in Syria, and the pain of that separation – first caused by the 1967 Six-Day War – has never healed. Families remain divided across a hostile border. Now, with the Syrian regime unleashing violence on its own citizens, the divide has become a matter of life and death.

For Israel, the strategic implications are also stark. If Syria’s Islamist-leaning regime continues its campaign against minorities, including Christians and Druze, the instability could spill across the Golan. Iran-backed militias could fill the power vacuum. Already, Hezbollah has indicated that it sees the Israeli strikes as justification for retaliation, even as it aligns more closely with the Syrian government.

Still, many in Israel believe this is the time to act decisively. The defence establishment’s language has shifted from cautious to clear. Though officials have not confirmed the possibility of a cross-border operation, the message to Damascus has been unmistakable: the Druze aren’t alone.

And for those like Ashkahr, that message matters. “We’re not asking for politics. We’re asking for help,” he said. “The Druze in Syria have been forgotten. If Israel can show it stands with us – not just from the sky, but on the ground – it could save lives.”

What happens in coming days will be critical. The Israeli military has made it clear it’s monitoring the situation closely. But whether international pressure follows, or the world continues to look away, remains uncertain.

The Druze’s fate is intertwined with Israel’s moral and strategic values. To defend the Druze isn’t just a gesture, it’s a statement about what kind of state Israel is.

• Paula Slier is the founder and chief executive of Newshound Media International, and hosts the afternoon Home Run on ChaiFM.