[DAMASCUS] Hikmat al-Hijri, a spiritual leader of Syria\u2019s Druze community, sparked widespread controversy Tuesday after describing the Druze as an \u201cinseparable part of the State of Israel,\u201d marking a significant escalation in his rhetoric toward Israel amid continuing tensions between forces aligned with him in the southern province of As-Suwayda and the Syrian government in Damascus.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Speaking during a gathering in As-Suwayda on Monday, in remarks that circulated widely on Tuesday, August 25, al-Hijri said the Druze were an \u201cinseparable part of the State of Israel,\u201d adding that there was common ground with Israel \u201ceven in faith.\u201d He also spoke positively about Israel\u2019s model of state-building and its approach to protecting its interests.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Al-Hijri also suggested that developments concerning As-Suwayda could emerge \u201cwithin days,\u201d without elaborating on their nature, as the province remains the focus of intensifying regional and international diplomatic activity.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The remarks come amid a gradual hardening of al-Hijri\u2019s position on As-Suwayda\u2019s political future. In recent months, he has repeatedly spoken about the right to self-determination and the possibility of establishing an entity separate from the central government in Damascus. He has also raised the possibility that the province could eventually come under the protection of another country or join another state.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
In his latest remarks, al-Hijri also addressed the situation in As-Suwayda over the past several months, saying the province\u2019s residents were \u201cin one trench\u201d and pointing to the losses resulting from the clashes that have gripped the area.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said that before the outbreak of violence, the demands of As-Suwayda\u2019a residents centered on establishing a democratic, civil state that would guarantee the rights of all communities and refrain from discriminating among Syrians on religious or sectarian grounds.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the same time, however, al-Hijri stressed the need for international involvement in reaching a solution for As-Suwayda, arguing that regional developments and understandings among international powers would help shape the province\u2019s future.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Relations between al-Hijri and Damascus have remained tense, while conflicting reports have emerged in recent weeks over whether negotiations are underway between the two sides. Media reports have pointed to contacts aimed at reaching an arrangement governing security and administrative relations between As-Suwayda and the Syrian government.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sources close to al-Hijri, however, have denied that direct negotiations are taking place, while acknowledging US-mediated efforts concerning specific issues, including the fate of detainees.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The timing of al-Hijri\u2019s remarks adds to their significance. They came days after a Syrian-Israeli meeting in Jordan mediated by the United States, part of efforts to deescalate tensions between Damascus and Israel and discuss security arrangements in southern Syria.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The comments also come amid growing Israeli involvement in issues concerning Syria\u2019s Druze community. Israel intervened militarily during clashes in As-Suwayda in July 2025, carrying out strikes in Damascus and elsewhere while saying that protecting the Druze was among the objectives of its intervention.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Al-Hijri has repeatedly thanked Israel for its position. His rhetoric has since evolved from calls for international protection and self-determination toward more explicit references to Israel as a potential player in determining As-Suwayda\u2019s future. \u00a0<\/p>\n
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