The spiritual leader of the Druze Unitarian community in Suwayda, Hikmat al-Hijri, called for full independence, without ruling out passing through a transitional phase of self rule under the supervision of an external guarantor, proposing Israel for this role as “the most suitable party,” according to his remarks.
Al-Hijri stressed that there is no connection whatsoever with what he described as the “Damascus regime,” likening the ideology of the Syrian government to that of al-Qaeda, an environment he said the Druze community cannot live within.
He pointed to the failure of all attempts to build a civil state based on a constitution founded on equality, efforts he said continued until March 2025.
The spiritual leader described the current government as “more brutal” than the former regime, which had also exerted pressure on the Druze, adding that “the current Syrian authority does not only seek to destroy the Druze, but any minority that does not agree with it.”
In an interview with the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, published today, Tuesday 13 January, al-Hijri said, “We are paying a heavy price, but our struggle lies in steadfastness and preserving our identity with honor and pride.” He also spoke of “more than 200 hostages held by the Syrian government, including children whose fate is unknown.”
Al-Hijri said that the only reason members of the community were killed was because they are Druze, describing the Syrian government as the “Islamic State” organization and accusing it of being a direct extension of al-Qaeda, in his words.
He described the events that took place in Suwayda in July 2025 as a “massacre that claimed the lives of more than 2,000 Druze,” including executions, rape, violations, and the burning of neighborhoods, affecting women, children, and infants.
He added that these acts were “a decision by the dark regime in Syria and all terrorist groups operating from Damascus,” calling them “genocide.”
Al-Hijri said the latest massacre proved that the Druze community cannot rely on anyone to protect it. While the price has been extremely high, he said it would not be in vain, expressing hope for a future in which Druze are no longer victims.
“We have been living since July 2025 in a state of maximum alert, all of us, young and old, devoted to defending our homes and our existence. They wanted to destroy us,” he said, noting that entire villages were burned, residents took refuge in schools and public buildings, and the population suffers from severe shortages of food and medicine.
The situation in Suwayda
The Druze leader said the situation in Suwayda is extremely difficult. Those who worked outside the province cannot return to their jobs, and students avoid studying throughout Syria.
Hospitals outside the province refuse to accept patients from Suwayda for treatment. Cancer patients in advanced stages are sent to their deaths because there is no oncology department in the province, he said, adding that Israel has treated hundreds of patients and wounded people in its hospitals.
According to al-Hijri, all components of Syrian society have suffered severe violence, including Alawites. He said there is broad awareness of the need to guarantee full rights for every group, and pointed to the continuation of a strategic relationship with Kurdish forces, expressing appreciation for their civil and security performance.
He explained that joining the “National Guard” is seeing popular interest and willingness to enlist, despite the force still being in its formative stages and currently facing logistical difficulties. He said these challenges could gradually be overcome in the near future as building and organization progress.
Relations with Israel
Al-Hijri said, “Israel saved us from genocide,” amid what he described as a “bitter reality” the community experienced over recent months, marked by a massacre that killed more than 2,000 people.
“There is no humanitarian corridor with Israel, which makes obtaining aid extremely difficult. But it is no secret that Israel was the only country in the world that intervened militarily and saved the Druze from genocide while it was taking place, through airstrikes that effectively stopped the massacre,” he said.
Al-Hijri said the relationship between Israel and the Druze in Syria is not new, but predates the fall of the Assad regime. He pointed to blood ties and family connections, describing it as a natural relationship.
He described Israel as a state governed by international laws and an ideology he seeks to reach, adding that “the Druze are peaceful, not aggressive, and want to preserve their distinct identity.”
“We see ourselves as an inseparable part of the existence of the State of Israel, as an arm that has formed an alliance with it. This relationship is international and of great importance. Israel is the sole guarantor and the authorized party for future agreements,” he said.
Al-Hijri predicted the division of Syria and the establishment of self rule alongside independence, describing it as a better future for minorities and regional stability across the Middle East.
He said there is international support through the press and human rights institutions, but expressed deep disappointment with the Arab world. “Not a single Arab state supported us. They chose to stand with the killer, not the victim, and Arab media portrayed us as children of the devil,” he said.
According to al-Hijri, no Arab leader condemned the massacre, and some states are directly involved in supporting the government, foremost among them Turkey.
Suwayda events
The events in Suwayda began on 12 July 2025, following mutual kidnappings between residents of the al-Maqous neighborhood in Suwayda, which has a Bedouin majority, and members of the Druze community. The following day, the situation escalated into armed clashes.
The Syrian government intervened on 14 July to separate the sides, but its intervention was accompanied by violations against Druze civilians. This prompted local factions to respond, including groups that had been cooperating with the Ministries of Defense and Interior.
On 16 July, government forces withdrew from Suwayda after coming under Israeli strikes. This was followed by violations and retaliatory acts against Bedouin residents in the province, leading to the dispatch of military convoys described as “tribal mobilizations” in support of them.
Subsequently, the Syrian government and Israel reached an agreement, mediated by the United States, to halt military operations.
The province continues to witness near daily security incidents, especially in contact areas between Syrian government forces and the “National Guard” affiliated with Hikmat al-Hijri, amid mutual accusations of fueling tensions and escalating the crisis.
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