31.01.2026 18:52
In the city of Sweida, Syria, groups affiliated with Druze leader Hikmet al-Hajri held a demonstration with Israeli flags and posters of Netanyahu.
In the center of Suwayda city in southern Syria, a demonstration organized by groups affiliated with Hikmet al-Hecri, a leader of some Druze, featured the Israeli flag and posters of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
THEY CARRIED A PHOTO OF NETANYAHU AND THE ISRAELI FLAG
According to images shared on social media, dozens of people affiliated with Hecri participated in the demonstration held under the slogan "To be or not to be." The demonstrators' carrying of the Israeli flag and photos of Netanyahu drew attention.
PARTICIPATION REMAINED LIMITED
Comments on social media noted that participation remained limited and the expected intensity did not materialize.
The demonstration coincided with calls for the international protection of the Druze and the internationalization of the issue, while some local circles in Suwayda viewed the use of symbols belonging to Israel as a development threatening the social and national structure.
EVENTS IN THE SUWAYDA REGION
On July 13, clashes occurred between Bedouin Arab tribes and Druze armed groups in Suwayda province in southern Syria.
Dozens of soldiers were killed in attacks by Druze groups on the Syrian security forces deployed to the region.
Israel later carried out attacks targeting Syrian security forces under the pretext of protecting the Druze.
Syria's Foreign Minister Assad Hasan Sheibani, Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi, and the U.S. Ambassador to Ankara and Special Representative for Syria Tom Barrack met on September 16 at the Tishreen Palace in the capital Damascus, announcing that they had agreed on a joint roadmap for the events in Suwayda.
The roadmap stated that "those who harm civilians and their property will be investigated and held accountable in full coordination with the international system, humanitarian and medical aid will be delivered uninterruptedly to Suwayda, compensation will be paid to the affected, villages and towns will be repaired, and the return of displaced persons will be facilitated."