Druze, Syria and Israel

First Druze crossing in 50 years as Israel courts allies in Syria
It's the first time in five decades that Druze leaders have crossed from Syria into Israeli-controlled territory to visit Druze religious sites and communities here. The buffer zo
Druze Religious Elders From Syria Make Historic Visit to Israel
People gather on the day Israeli Druze leader Sheik Mowafaq Tarif and around 100 Syrian Druze religious elders, in the first Druze delegation from Syria just after 1973 war, visit the Nabi Shuayb Shrine, a holy place for the Druze community, in northern Israel March 14, 2025. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
Dozens of Syrian Druze make a rare visit to Israeli-controlled Golan Heights
Over half of the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel and the Golan Heights, a rocky plateau seized from Syria by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. Israel’s 1981 annexation of the area is recognized only by the United States, with the rest of the world considering it occupied Syrian territory.
Three buses carrying Druze from Syria cross into Israeli-controlled area of the Golan Heights
The visit comes as Israel says it is supporting the minority in a country now ruled by Islamists. But many Druze have rejected its overtures, and critics accuse Israel of trying to weaken and divide Syria following the overthrow of President Bashar Assad.
Israel sends aid to Druze in Syria, foreign ministry says
Israel has sent humanitarian aid to Druze communities in its neighbour Syria over the past few weeks, its foreign ministry said on Thursday, in a further sign of backing for the minority group.
Historic Reunion: Druze Elders Cross into Israel After 50 Years
Druze religious elders from Syria visited Israel for the first time in over 50 years, highlighting Israel's support for the community. Despite the visit's religious nature, it carried political weight due to recent regional tensions.
Syrian Druze cross armistice line for pilgrimage to Israel
Dozens of Syrian Druze clerics crossed the armistice line on the Golan Heights into Israel on Friday for their community's first pilgrimage to a revered shrine since Israel's creation in
Israeli Druze prepare for first visit by Syrian Druze in decades
The head of the Druze community in Israel on Thursday hailed plans for the first visit by a Druze religious delegation from Syria in five decades, despite escalating cross-border tensions underscored by an Israeli airstrike on Damascus.
Israel faces new Syria challenge as it adjusts to new strategy amid regional power struggle for influence
Israel is rethinking its Syria strategy following the country's Islamist takeover in December, rising attacks on minorities ...
In Netanyahu’s new Middle East, Syria could become Israel’s biggest strategic gain
Just hours after Islamist rebels ousted longtime Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in December, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin ...
Middle East latest: Hamas says it will free a US-Israeli hostage to keep ceasefire talks rolling
Hamas says it has accepted a proposal from mediators to release one living American-Israeli hostage and the bodies of four ...
FDD's Long War Journal3h
Israel conducts strike targeting Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Damascus
The logo of Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The state-owned Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that Israel targeted a ...
Israel Strikes Syria Again as Tensions Rise
The latest attacks came a week after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel demanded the demilitarization of much of ...
CounterPunch12h
MSM’s Contradictions Regarding the New Syrian Government
The American mainstream media may have some ability to get away from government policy talking points when covering domestic ...
Syrian leader signs constitution that puts the country under an Islamist group’s rule for 5 years
Syria’s interim president on Thursday signed a temporary constitution that leaves the country under Islamist rule for five ...
‘Syria can be Israel’s best friend in the region,’ says Syrian scholar in exile - interview
"Assad and Al-Sharaa are both enemy regimes," says Sheikh Abdallah Al-Tamimi, a Syrian scholar and peace activist who has ...