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On Wednesday, the Syrian government and leaders of the Druze minority in the southern province of Suwayda reached a ceasefire after several days of escalating violence that included Israeli strikes on Damascus. The clashes revealed the divisions within Syria’s Druze community between those who favor closer ties with the Syrian regime and integration into Syria and those led by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri and former leaders in the Assad government who favor greater autonomy. Hijri’s ties with the Druze community in Israel and the Israeli government have come under scrutiny as well. The clashes began on Sunday when a Bedouin clan set up a checkpoint in the province of Suwayda and robbed a Druze man. The violence escalated from there with Druze and Bedouin reprisals leaving nearly one-hundred people dead and prompting the Syrian government to send its security forces to the area. Sectarian tensions between government backed forces and the Druze emerged as videos spread of government militias humiliating Druze men, forcing them to shave their mustaches and chanting inflammatory slogans while the violence continued. While a ceasefire was reached tensions remained high. Several Arabic media outlets reported that militants affiliated with Syria’s Bedouin tribes have flocked to Suwayda as government forces withdrew. Several Arab governments along with Turkey condemned Israel’s strikes on Damascus calling it an infringement on Syrian sovereignty . Several prominent Western analysts also questioned Israel’s involvement saying that it threatened to inflame sectarian tensions and turn much of Syria’s population against the Druze minority. John Sawyers, a former British intelligence analyst, expressed concerns that Israel’s intentions are to fragment Syria to keep it weak and unstable.
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