Israel Plunged Headlong Into the Syrian Storm – and Could Find Itself at Odds With Trump -
Overnight into Wednesday, the Syrian regime continued signaling, including to their contacts in the American administration, that it was seeking to de-escalate the crisis with the Druze. Despite the brutal massacres carried out by extremist Sunni militias, with encouragement of the regime, against the residents of the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, Israel assumed the deteriorating situation could be stopped. These predictions were shattered with a bang in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Not only did the fighting and killings around Sweida continue, but thousands of Israeli Druze flocked to the Golan Heights, encouraged by their spiritual leader in Israel, Sheikh Muafak Tariff. Hundreds forced their way across the border into Syrian territory by car and on foot. Despite the growing warning signs since Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces, the police and the Shin Bet security service were caught unprepared.
The few soldiers and police officers deployed near the border didn't dare use force or weapons to stop the incursion into Syria. Simultaneously, there was also movement of Syrian Druze in the opposite direction, toward Israel. By Wednesday night, some of the Israeli Druze had returned to the western side of the border. But many still remain in Syria, and there's concern that in their attempts to help their community, they'll find themselves in combat zones, or end up kidnapped or killed.
- Druze, Syrian gov't reach cease-fire in Sweida after days of deadly clashes
- Military, police unprepared as Israeli Druze breach border and head into Syria
- 'Al-Sharaa's rule is bad for the Druze, only a matter of time before violence reached us'
Israel has once again been swept into Syria's chaos, and security forces are not in control of the situation and can't enforce the law on Israeli citizens and prevent them from crossing the border.
In light of the events in southern Syria over the past few days, there's panic among the Druze in Israel. The humiliation, torture and killings are real and the number of Druze killed or wounded is estimated to be in the hundreds. There were several massacres of Druze throughout Syria's civil war and in some cases, the brutal violence was stopped at the last minute. But this appears to be the most serious instance of aggression against the Syrian Druze community to date.
Given the severity of the situation, it's understandable that the Israeli Druze are desperately expecting the government to intervene in what is happening in Syria, for the sake of their relatives.
Saudi Crown Prince bin Salman greeting Syria's al-Sharaa as President Trump looks on, in Riyadh in May.Credit: AFP/Bandar al-Jaloud/Saudi Royal Palace
In the background, there are also political considerations: Likud wants to win back Druze votes in the next election, after the crisis that was caused by the 2018 nation-state law, which has been going on for quite some time.
Since Israel's failure to prevent the October 7 massacre, its offensive, belligerent line in the region has been evident – and even more so after its military successes in Lebanon, Syria and Iran. The Israeli government is acting like it can do whatever it pleases. It's also reasonable to suspect that the government is taking advantage of real tensions in the various arenas to maintain the constant flame of war for its political needs.
Members of the Druze community in Israel and their supporters wave a Druze flag and raise placards near the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem to show solidarity with their community in neighboring Syria, on July 16, 2025.Credit: AFP/AHMAD GHARABLI
Some ministers are also suffering from a terrible lack of seriousness. Just a few weeks ago, there were serious discussions in Israel to try to improve relations with the new Syrian regime headed by Ahmad al-Sharaa. Now, after the massacres, Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli called for al-Sharaa's assassination. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, meanwhile, published a tweet in solidarity with the Druze community, in which he mistakenly presented the Israeli flag together with the flag of the Seychelles instead of the Druze flag (on the other hand, a 50 percent success rate can be considered an achievement for a member of the current government.) And it appears that Defense Minister Israel Katz is continuing in his primary role as the head of social media on behalf of his ministry.
The U.S. administration, which recently embraced al-Sharaa's regime and rushed to lift the sanctions on Syria, is now attempting to calm the conflict in southern Syria and restrain Israel's response. On Wednesday night, in Washington there were estimations that the chances of hostilities ending soon were good.
In addition to the airstrikes against vehicles and concentrations of Sunni militias and the regime's security apparatus in Sweida, the Israel Air Force also bombed the Syrian General Staff building on Wednesday. Israel is waiting for developments regarding a cease-fire, but in the meantime, it's attacking forces affiliated with the regime from the air and from a distance.
Druze from Syria and Israel protest on the Israeli-Syrian border, in Majdal Shams in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights on Wednesday.Credit: Leo Correa,AP
At the same time, large infantry and armored brigade forces were pulled from training courses and from Gaza and deployed to the Golan Heights. For now, no one in the government or the army has talked about a ground incursion into Syrian territory to save the Druze, and doesn't seem likely that the crisis will take this direction. However, given the turmoil of the past two years, it's hard to say with certainty that such a scenario won't be on the agenda under any circumstances.