JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL

Hikmat al-Hijri, a Druze leader in Syria’s southern Suwayda province, has once again escalated his incitement against the Syrian state, openly declaring that his followers are an “inseparable part of Israel.”

Al-Hijri made the remarks in an interview published Tuesday by the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

The Druze community in Suwayda has three religious authorities whose positions occasionally diverge: Hikmat al-Hijri, Hammoud Yahya al-Hinnawi, and Yusuf Jarbou’. Followers of al-Hijri represent a minority and are not viewed as representative of the Druze community in the province.

“We see ourselves as an inseparable part of the existence of the State of Israel. This relationship is international and of critical importance,” al-Hijri said.

Despite Israel’s repeated military attacks across the region, he claimed that Israel is “the only guarantor and the party authorized to shape future arrangements.”

Addressing those arrangements, al-Hijri said that “the primary demand is full independence,” adding that a transitional period of self-rule under the supervision of an external guarantor could be acceptable.

From his perspective, he said “Israel is the appropriate party for this,” in reference to his call for Suwayda to become an “independent entity.”

He went on to promote what he described as “division and the establishment of autonomous governance alongside independence,” claiming this would secure “a better future for minorities and regional stability across the Middle East.”

In an attack on the Syrian government, which has repeatedly stressed that the Druze are a core component of the country, al-Hijri alleged that “the current system is the most brutal,” asserting it was formed as a “direct extension of al-Qaeda.”

He also praised Israel’s violations of Syrian sovereignty, carried out under the pretext of protecting Druze communities, saying: “It is no secret that Israel was the only country in the world that intervened militarily.”

Despite humanitarian aid deliveries coordinated by the Syrian government to Suwayda, al-Hijri claimed there was no connection with Damascus, reiterating his demand for an “independent Druze region.”

He further said that ties between his followers and Israel date back to before the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime on Dec. 8, 2024.

Al-Hijri’s supporters have previously drawn widespread anger among Syrians after openly calling for Israeli guardianship, organizing demonstrations in which Israeli flags were raised and appeals were made to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to intervene in Syria’s internal affairs.

There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government on al-Hijri’s remarks. Damascus has previously affirmed that protecting the Druze community is a responsibility of the state and has condemned Israeli violations of Syria’s sovereignty.

This is not the first time al-Hijri has called for an “independent entity” or praised Israel. In September last year, he publicly thanked Netanyahu in a recorded address for Israeli military intervention against Syrian government forces following unrest in Suwayda in July 2025.

The province has remained under a ceasefire agreement since that month, after clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze groups left hundreds dead and wounded.

However, groups affiliated with al-Hijri have repeatedly violated the truce and targeted military positions, while the government has adhered to the agreement, facilitated evacuations and allowed the entry of humanitarian aid.

Since Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in late 2024, Syria’s new administration has taken several measures to restore security in Syria and pursued political and economic reforms while promoting social cohesion and working to expand cooperation with regional and international partners.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia last December, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963. A new transitional administration led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa was formed in January, 2025.