Netanyahu considers the bombing of the presidential complex a message to the Syrian administration regarding Israel’s commitment to protect the Druze community in Syria
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued his threats against the new Syrian administration on Friday, claiming that the bombing of the presidential complex in Damascus was a clear message to it regarding Israel’s commitment to protecting the Druze community in Syria.
This comes a day after Druze leaders and dignitaries in Syria affirmed, in a statement, that they are part of a unified Syria and emphasized their rejection of any proponents of partition or secession.
This statement was a slap in the face to Israel, which, according to observers, is attempting to exploit the issue of minorities, particularly the Druze in southern Syria, to consolidate its interventions and violations of Syrian sovereignty and impose a separatist reality, even as Damascus asserts that all sects in the country have equal rights without discrimination.
According to a statement issued by his office, Netanyahu said during a phone call with the leader of the Druze community in Israel, Muwaffaq Tarif, “The offensive operation carried out by the Israeli army last night against the presidential complex in Damascus aims to send a clear message to the Syrian regime that Israel is committed to protecting the Druze in Syria”.
He added, threateningly, “We’ll not allow the Druze in Syria to be harmed, and we will continue to act firmly against any attempt to do so”.
This is not the first time Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have incited against the new Syrian administration, alleging that its oppressing minorities.
Last Tuesday and Wednesday, the Ashrafieh Sahnaya and Jaramana areas, home to a large Druze population in the Damascus countryside, witnessed security tensions following the spread of an audio recording attributed to a Druze member that included insults to the Prophet Muhammad.
Security forces, in coordination with local leaders, were able to restore calm in the two areas after civilian and security personnel were killed in attacks launched by outlaw armed groups seeking to sow chaos and create strife.
The General Security Directorate in Rural Damascus announced Wednesday evening that it had reached a preliminary agreement to restore calm in Jaramana and Ashrafieh Sahnaya, and to form a joint committee to resolve the security tensions in the two areas.
Claiming to be defending Druze rights in Syria, Israel launched airstrikes on Wednesday on the outskirts of the Ashrafieh Sahnaya area, killing Druze civilians, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced that its warplanes raided an area adjacent to the presidential palace in Damascus at dawn on Friday.
While the Syrian presidency condemned in the strongest terms the bombing of the presidential palace by the Israeli occupation, describing it as a “dangerous escalation against state institutions and sovereignty”.
These developments come amid escalating warnings about Israel’s attempts to exploit the Druze to impose its intervention in Syria, even as Damascus asserts that all components of the population are equal in rights.
