Druze leader Hijri says Israel could oversee transitional self-rule in Sweida

BEIRUT — In an interview with Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth (Ynet) published on Wednesday, Syrian Druze leader Hikmat al-Hijri expressed his aspiration to establish an independent Druze entity in the Sweida province.

He also added that Israel would be the "appropriate entity" for supervising a possible transitional phase of self-rule.

After the bloody clashes in Sweida in July last year that pitted Druze factions against Bedouin tribes and government forces — resulting in 1,600 deaths, mostly civilians — signs of a break with Damascus have multiplied.

Following these clashes, Hijri created a unified Druze militia and has repeatedly called for the creation of a separate region.

Hijri has stepped up appeals for support from Israel, openly presenting it as the “protector” of the Druze after the Israeli state carried out airstrikes on Damascus in July.

'Israel saved us from genocide'

In his interview with Ynet, Hijri said that he demands not only self-administration, but an "independent Druze region."

The Sheikh, who described the clashes that took place in July as a "genocide" against the Druze, said that "Israel was the only country in the world that intervened militarily and saved [them] from genocide at the time it was happening."

Israel carried air strikes on Syrian forces in the area, as well as in Damascus, during the clashes.

Although Israel killed, since October 2023, more than 70,000 Palestinians in its war on Gaza and thousands more in the conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hijri said in the interview that "Israel is a state governed by international law."

Asked about his vision for the future, he responded: "We see ourselves as an integral part of the State of Israel's existence, as an arm that has forged an alliance with Israel. The relationship is significant. Israel is the only guarantor and authorized entity for future arrangements."

He added that the central demand is full independence, but a "transitional phase of self-rule under the supervision of an external guarantor is possible. In my opinion, the State of Israel is the appropriate entity for this."

On the other hand, he expressed deep disappointment with the Arab world: "Not a single Arab country supported us", he said. "They chose to stand with the murderer and not the victim", Hijri added.

Regarding his newly formed militia, Hijri said that there is "public interest and willingness to join the Guard, even though it is still in the initial stages of establishment and currently suffers from logistical limitations."

He noted that these "gaps are expected to gradually close in the near future, as the building and organization process progresses."

Commenting on the Sweida case, Lebanese Druze leader Walid Joumblatt said last month that "someone has decided to take over Sweida to make it an independent state with the support of Israel", in a clear reference to Hijri, adding that it is a "suicidal project because it harms all the interests of the region's Arab Muslim Druze."