Not just about the Druze: Israel’s rationale for its attacks on Syria

On Wednesday afternoon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a video connection to his country’s Druze minority. He implored them not to transverse into southwestern Syria to enactment Syrian Druze militiamen successful their combat against section Bedouin and authorities forces successful Suwayda.

And yet, arsenic Netanyahu made the statement, his ain forces were bombing the Syrian superior Damascus, hitting the country’s Ministry of Defence, and sidesplitting astatine slightest 3 people.

Netanyahu claimed that helium had deployed Israel’s subject mightiness successful the defence of the Druze.

“My brothers, the Druze citizens of Israel, the concern successful Suweyda successful southwestern Syria is precise serious,” the main designer of the 2018 nation-state law that’s been wide criticised for marginalising the Druze and different minorities said. “We are acting to prevention our Druze brothers and to destruct the gangs of the regime,” helium assured them, referring to the Syrian government.

Israel’s Druze

Sectarian tensions betwixt the Druze and section Bedouins successful Suweyda are longstanding. Meanwhile, attempts by the recently formed Syrian government, which took powerfulness aft the autumn of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad successful December, to asseverate power implicit the portion have been frustrated successful portion by Israel’s repeated threats against the beingness of the Syrian subject adjacent its border.

There are astir 700,000 Druze successful Syria. Another 150,000 Druze unrecorded successful Israel, where, astatine slightest earlier the 2018 instrumentality emphasising lone Jewish self-determination, galore regarded themselves arsenic bound by a “blood covenant” with their Jewish neighbours since 1948 and the founding of Israel astatine the disbursal of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who were ethnically cleansed successful the Nakba. While immoderate present consciousness similar “second-class” citizens, the bulk are inactive supportive of the Israeli state, wherever they service successful the military.

“The Israeli Druze spot themselves arsenic Druze, arsenic Israelis, and arsenic Arabs,” Rami Zeedan, an subordinate prof astatine the University of Kansas and the laminitis and editor-in-chief of Druze Studies Journal, said.

“Part of the recognition with Israel is the feeling of some Jews and Druze being persecuted minorities,” helium added. “Israeli Druze inactive consciousness that they person overmuch much to summation from Israel compared to immoderate different hypothetical future. As a cornerstone of this confederation is the extortion of the Druze community.”

“The Israeli Druze are present trying to usage that and impulse the Israeli authorities to support chap Druze successful Syria,” helium said, explaining, successful part, the justification for Israel’s strikes connected Syria, wherever the Druze assemblage has traditionally been anti-Israel, adjacent arsenic immoderate leaders turn person to Israel.

‘Pure opportunism’

But the world is that Israel has agelong attacked Syria, adjacent earlier the latest outbreak of unit involving the Druze successful Suwayda.

Since the ousting of al-Assad aft a 14-year war, Israel has struck Syria hundreds of times and invaded and occupied astir 400 quadrate kilometres (155sq miles) of its territory, excluding the occidental Golan Heights, which it has occupied since 1967.

Leading analysts wrong Israel suggest that these latest attacks whitethorn not person been wholly motivated by interest for the payment of the Druze, truthful overmuch arsenic the idiosyncratic and governmental aims of the Israeli authorities and its embattled premier minister.

“It’s axenic opportunism,” Alon Pinkas, a erstwhile Israeli ambassador and consul wide successful New York, told Al Jazeera. “Of course, it’s bully to unreal that we’re helping our friends the Druze, successful the aforesaid mode arsenic we ne'er helped our different friends, the Kurds,” helium said, referring to different determination taste group.

Pinkas sketched retired a fig of the motivations down Israel’s caller strikes connected Syria, from boosting Netanyahu’s newfound self-image arsenic a wartime leader, to pushing backmost his corruption trial, to reinforcing the “delusion” that, implicit the erstwhile 21 months, Israel has someway managed to reshape the Middle East done subject unit alone.

“Lastly, helium doesn’t privation to spot a unified Syria with a beardown cardinal authorities controlled by al-Sharaa,” Pinkas said. “He wants a anemic cardinal authorities dealing with areas controlled by the Kurds [in the north] and the Druze and Bedouin successful the south.”

“Basically, if Syria remains un-unified, Israel tin bash what it wants successful its south,” helium added.

Netanyahu has repeatedly emphasised that Israel volition lone basal for a demilitarised Syria southbound of Damascus, including the portion that encompasses Suwayda. This, successful effect, creates a buffer portion for Israel, adding to the subject reasoning for Israel’s actions successful Syria.

Hollowed retired by war

The attacks connected Syria person the further effect of sustaining the consciousness of situation that has gripped Israeli nine and sustained its authorities done galore scandals since the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, and the consequent warfare connected Gaza.

Israel has since attacked Lebanon, Iran, Yemen and Syria.

“It’s not that radical are bushed of war; it’s similar they nary longer adjacent care. It’s ennui,” Israeli governmental expert Ori Goldberg said of the nationalist effect to the latest attacks.

“War gives radical vigor and meaning, but it’s fleeting. People person adjacent forgotten astir the warfare with Iran,” helium said, referring to the 12-day warfare successful June that prompted planetary fears of determination escalation.

All the caveats and cautions that would usually precede subject enactment had, Goldberg noted, been replaced by ever-fresh dangers requiring caller escalations.

“It’s dangerous,” helium said. “Israelis don’t attraction astir the Druze. It’s conscionable a caller threat, a caller front, and present there’s this tired, ‘OK, dude. Let’s bash it [attitude]’.”

“War has hollowed america out.”