Sectarian flare-ups give Israel the chance to bomb Syria again

These concerns deepened in March when hundreds of Syria's Alawite religious minority were killed in what some describe as a massacre at the hands of government forces. Assad was an Alawite and he retains pockets of support within the Alawite community, many of whom were reportedly killed by summary execution.

Lighting a match

The latest round of sectarian violence in southern Syria began last weekend after a Druze vegetable seller was robbed by unknown assailants, prompting an angry backlash in Suweida, a Druze stronghold, against Bedouin tribes, who were accused of banditry and kidnapping.

Tensions were further inflamed after videos appeared online showing men in military attire forcibly shaving off the moustaches of Druze men—a serious and provocative act, since they are considered an important cultural and religious symbol for the sect. The Druze responded by taking several Bedouin hostage, prompting fighting between the communities that left more than 100 dead. The government then dispatched troops, which led to further fighting.

A sect of about one million people, the Druze primarily live in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel, with around 145,000 Druze living within Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. They comprise about 1.6% of Israel's population, and have traditionally fought in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) against the Arab armies, beginning in 1948, shortly after the State of Israel was declared.

Friends and enemies

The Druze remain over-represented in IDF ranks and their close association with the Jewish state is now being used by Israel to justify its military intervention in Syria, a move that will undermine al-Sharaa's efforts to bring stability to his country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not mind that at all. He remains deeply suspicious of the new Syrian regime despite many countries having now restored diplomatic ties with Damascus. Some in Netanyahu's government still say al-Sharaa and his supporters are Islamist terrorists who should be "eliminated".

Israeli attacks against Syria's military infrastructure began in the hours after Assad fled and has remained a constant threat, as Tel Aviv tries to nullify the new Syrian government's ability to threaten Israel's borders. This has severely diminished al-Sharaa's ability to exert his control over the country. The fear now is that Israeli attacks on Syria could spiral out of control, prompting yet another conflict that the region can ill afford.

For this reason, intensive US diplomatic efforts led to a ceasefire, after al-Sharaa agreed to withdraw his troops from Suweida, in agreement with local leaders. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described it as "a troubling and horrifying situation" that the Trump administration had sought to end. To prevent a recurrence, al-Sharaa's government needs to demonstrate its commitment to protecting the interests of all Syrians, irrespective of their religious and sectarian backgrounds.