Violence Among Israeli Arabs Threatens All of Israel
Fares Abu Fani was shot to death last week in Kafr Qara in northern Israel. The 29-year-old was the 187th Israeli Arab to die from violent crime this year.
Bedouin
Tom Barrack’s diplomacy of optics: Fast deals, fragile peace
Tom Barrack’s high-speed diplomacy in Syria and Lebanon backfired, fueling instability, alienating allies and deepening mistrust across the region.
Op-eds
Profiles of militias in newly formed Druze national guard in Suwayda, Syria
On August 23, armed factions in the Suwayda province, Syria announced the formation of a national guard under the leadership of the Druze spiritual leader Hikmat al Hijri, the most prominent...
Op-eds
Syria Is No Longer a Narco-State, But the Captagon Trade Rolls On
Interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa pledged to dismantle his country’s massive illegal drug trade when he took power in December, but the dangerous amphetamine captagon is still flowing. On September...
Policy Briefs
Can Syria’s New Leaders and U.S.-Backed Forces Unite to Defeat ISIS?
US Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led a delegation to Syria that met with Syria’s transitional President, Ahmed al-Shara’a, on...
Op-eds
For the First Time in 25 Years, Syria Acknowledges Direct Talks With Israel
Israel and Syria are talking — and for once, no one is denying it. Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani met with an Israeli delegation in Paris on August 19, the Syria’s official news agency announced....
Policy Briefs
Druze City Offers Syria’s Leader Yet Another Challenge
Things are not getting any easier for Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and his fractured country. On August 18, hundreds of Druze demonstrated in the city of Suwayda — where they make up the...
Policy Briefs
Sunni Arab tribes mobilize against the Syrian Democratic Forces
Several Sunni Arab tribes in northeastern Syria, an area that encompasses 30 percent of Syrian territory and is currently under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have called...
Op-eds
Turkey Signs Military Accord With Syrian Government
Latest Developments Military Memorandum Signed: Turkey’s Ministry of Defense has announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Syria for the training of Syrian troops and military...
Flash Briefs
Violence Resurges in Syria After Armed Groups, Kurdish-Led SDF, Clash With Government Forces
SDF Clashes With Troops: The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) claimed on August 4 to have repelled an “attack” by “factions affiliated with the Syrian Transitional...
Flash Briefs
Choose the Druze
Syria’s endangered minorities deserve protection
Op-eds
Syrian Druze are not entitled to self-determination, and Kurds cannot yet pursue secession
Syria is a patchwork of identities, par for the course in a region where novel nationalities vie with tribe and religion for the citizenry’s loyalty. For most of the country’s history, the Assad family...
Op-eds
The Risks of Israel’s Druze Policy
Picking and choosing between Druze leaders will prove counterproductive.
Op-eds
‘Firm and Supportive Stance’: Saudi Arabia to Invest $6.4 Billion in Syria
Billions From Riyadh: Saudi Arabia announced on July 24 new investments in Syria totaling $6.4 billion. The deal was confirmed at a conference in Damascus by Saudi Investment Minister...
Flash Briefs
Druze-American Executed in Syria Amidst Sectarian Violence
American Citizen Murdered: The State Department confirmed on July 22 that a Druze Syrian-American citizen was executed in Syria alongside seven of his family members, amidst sectarian clashes involving Druze and Bedouin factions along with Syrian government forces. Hosam Saraya, 35, was identified by relatives after video emerged of masked men in military uniforms shooting eight Druze captives on July 17 while shouting “God is great.” Though one friend of the Saraya family stated that he believed the gunmen were aligned with the Syrian government, their identities could not be confirmed.
Flash Briefs
Ceasefire Holds in Syria’s Suwayda as Israel Delivers Aid to Druze
Syrian Government Imposes ‘Security Cordon’ for Suwayda: Syria’s government began evacuating Bedouin families from Suwayda and deployed security forces around its perimeter...
Flash Briefs
Clashes intensify between Arab Bedouin tribes and Druze militias in Suwayda, Syria
Tensions in the Syrian governorate of Suwayda continue to rise following clashes between government forces and Druze militias affiliated with prominent Druze leader Hikmat al Hijri between July 14 and...
Op-eds
The Druze Test: A Deep Dive into Why Israel is Bombing Syria Again
Israel’s Druze Test in Syria On July 16, the Israel Defense Forces carried out airstrikes in the heart of Damascus. The IDF said it had targeted Syria’s military headquarters and...
Op-eds
Netanyahu Delineates ‘Red Lines’ in Syria as Sharaa Accuses Israel of Sowing Civil War
‘Protecting Our Druze Brothers’: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on July 17 laid out two red lines regarding Israel’s use of military force in Syria, following days...
Flash Briefs
Israel intensifies airstrikes on Syria to deter attacks on Druze
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted strikes near the Syrian Presidential Palace and targeting the Syrian government’s military headquarters in Damascus, the Israeli military said on July...