Who are the Druze? Why is Israel bombing Syria to protect them?

Israel has bombed the areas around the Syrian city of Suweida.

The development comes as the fighting between Syrian government forces and Druze militias has broken out.

This came after clashes between the Druze and Bedouin tribes over the weekend in which 30 were left dead and dozens wounded.

There are reports that Syrian forces have executed some civilians.

Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered strikes on forces and weapons in the Suweida because the government “intended to use [them] against the Druze”.

But who are the Druze? Why is Israel bombing Syria to protect them?

Who are they?

The Druze are an Arabic-speaking ethnic minority.

The Druze broke away from Shia Islam during the 10th or 11th Century in Egypt.

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The religion was founded by al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah – who followed the sixth Fatimid caliph.

Al-Hakim was later deified by the Druze and remains a central figure in their belief system.

While they identify mainly as Arab, their faith incorporates aspects from several faiths including Hinduism, Judaism and Christianity.

The Druze believe in one God – which is why they are known as Muwahhidun (monotheistic).

This, they believe, is the same deity that the Abrahamic religions worship.

They also believe that the soul is eternal and reincarnates in successive bodies.

While they do not believe in traditional Muslim practices such as praying five times a day and making a pilgrimage to Mecca, they also revere several important figures from other religions.

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The Druze largely keep to themselves no matter where they are.

They do not proselytise, that is convert people.

This comes out of their earliest experiences of facing violence and persecution for their beliefs.

Nor do they accept converts from people of other faiths.

Only a select few, known as the uqqal (the wise) have access to their religious texts and practices.

The rest of the community is known as the juhhal (the ignorant).

They do not have formal religious ceremonies or elaborate places of worship.

Instead, they congregate in simple buildings known as khalwas.

Here, they engage in communal worship and religious study.

Marriage outside the community is also discouraged.

They live in a tight-knit community centred around family and religion.

The men wear white turbans, while the women cover their hair using white veils.

They practice truthfulness, fellowship and belief in the oneness of God – known as al-Tawhid.

They believe that existence is cyclical in nature and that al-Hakim will return one day to set up “true justice”.

The Druze are overseen by the Majlis al-‘Uqāl – which is a council of religious leaders.

Why is Israel bombing Syria to protect them?

First, let’s take a look at where the Druze live.

While they are mainly found in West Asia – particularly Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and the Israel-controlled Golan Heights – they are also found in the US, Australia and Europe.

There are around 150,000 Druze in Israel who are citizens. There are around 20,000 Golan heights – which Israel seized from Syria during the war in 1967 – many of whom are not citizens.

They comprise around 1.5 per cent of Israel’s population.

There are around 700,000 Druze in Syria and 300,000 in Lebanon.

In southern Syria, they are found near Sweida and Jabal al-Druze (Mountain of the Druze), while in Lebanon they are found near Mount Lebanon in the north.

Scholars say The Druze have played a major role in the history of West Asia – both in ancient and modern times.

Makram Rabah, assistant professor of history and archaeology at the American University in Beirut, told Al Jazeera that the Druze in ancient times “assumed many political and military responsibilities on behalf of the Muslim Caliphate”.

When it comes to the modern era, they are “one of the founding communities of modern Lebanon, Syria and Jordan and Palestine”.

“So all of this has made them one of the surviving tribes of the Levant,” Rabah added.

The Druze and Israel have a relationship that goes all the way back to the founding of the country.

The term ‘blood covenant’ is often used to describe the ties between the Druze and the Israeli state.

They have often served in the military  in wars against its Arab neighbours.

Though there are several Druze in Israel’s Parliament and they have reached high-ranking positions in the Israeli military particularly the IDF, police and security, many complain that the 2018 law defining Israel as a Jewish state has made them “second-class citizens”.

Israel has said it is trying to protect the Druze in Syria.

Netanyahu’s office said Israel is “committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria due to the deep brotherly alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel, and their familial and historical ties to the Druze in Syria.”

Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli said that Israel could not “stand idly by” as the Druze engaged in fighting.

“We see massacres and insults against the Druze, and we must fight against the terrorism regime in Syria,” Chikli

However, what is actually happening is more of a geopolitical game with Israel seizing more and more territory in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime in 2024.

The Druze in Syria themselves are suspicious of the government of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

The areas that they live in until now have been largely under the control of their militias.

Syria has slammed Israel’s attacks as a “a blatant violation of the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic,” and “a reprehensible example of ongoing aggression and foreign interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states.”

With inputs from agencies