The New York Times: The events in Sweida have upset the historical balance of Syria’s Druze
The bloody events in Sweida have sparked growing anxiety among the Druze community in southern Syria, with growing fears of losing the “historical balance” that has enabled the Druze to adapt to successive regimes in the country for decades.
The community’s politics are based on loyalty to the state in which they live, a pragmatic, cross-border approach followed by the Druze of Syria, Lebanon, and Israel, enabling them to maintain their social and political stability.
However, according to a report by the New York Times, this balance has come under significant pressure recently following the escalation of violence in Sweida, where hundreds have been killed in clashes between Druze factions and armed Bedouin tribes.
Under the former Assad regime, the community avoided open rebellion but maintained a distance from the state, with local factions protecting their areas without fully engaging with the regime’s security infrastructure.
However, the fragile balance—as the newspaper described it—was shaken by the arrival of the new government led by Ahmed al Sharaa, which began confronting armed networks left over from the war era.
Tensions reached a peak this week after clashes erupted between Druze and Bedouins, prompting government forces to intervene and confront Druze factions that distrust the new government, further complicating the situation.
This coincided with direct Israeli intervention, with Israel pledging to protect the community, despite the rejection of many Syrian Druze of any foreign intervention.
Inside Israel, the crisis has sparked anger among the Druze community, who have staged protests, closed roads, and even infiltrated into Syria, prompting the Israeli army to bomb targets in Damascus.
Despite this support, many Syrian Druze feel that these attacks have further isolated them from the country’s new regime.
