Druze

Syrian Druze Plan First Israel Pilgrimage

A delegation of Syrian Druze clerics is planning to visit a pilgrimage site in Israel on Friday for the first time since Israel's creation in 1948, a source close to the group said. "A delegation of dozens of Druze clerics will visit Israel on Friday," the source said, adding that it follows an invitation from the Druze community in Israel. "The ...

Preliminary Agreement Reached Between Sweida and Damascus

Discussions between leading figures of the Druze community in Sweida and the new Syrian administration have reportedly resulted in a tacit agreement for the Druze to integrate into the new Syrian state, according to Lebanese daily An-Nahar. Syrian writer and researcher Jamal al-Shoufi revealed to An-Nahar an “attempt to unify ranks by community ...

The Druze: Riding the Tide in a Turbulent Middle East

The Druze question has reemerged at the forefront of the current regional scene, following the regime change in Syria and Israel’s incursion into Syrian territory through the demilitarized zone in the occupied Golan Heights. All this is compounded by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s warning that Israel would intervene in Syria to ...

Syria Forces Deploy in Damascus Suburb After Deadly Unrest

The forces of Syria's new authorities deployed Sunday in a Damascus suburb following deadly clashes with Druze gunmen, state media said amid tensions after Israeli demands to protect the minority group. Jaramana, a mostly Druze and Christian suburb of the capital, saw a fatal shooting at a checkpoint on Friday, followed a day later by clashes ...

Joy and Apprehension Among Syria’s Druze Community

Like everywhere else in Syria, the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s totalitarian regime was acclaimed with joy and celebrations in the predominantly Druze southern province of Sweida. While they have historically been close to the regime, the esoteric minority Druze community, making up some 3 to 4% of Syria’s ...

Druze Leadership on High Alert to Avert Reckless Ventures

Lebanon's political and sectarian forces cannot approach the current Israeli war as they did previous conflicts, including the 1982 invasion that reached Beirut. This war risks dismantling the existing “rules of engagement” between Lebanese sectarian groups, potentially ushering in a new balance of power. As a result, all factions are bracing ...

The Maronite Church, Prisoner of Its Own Memory

For some Lebanese Christians, the 1860 massacres remain an open wound — a persistent thorn in their collective memory. The painful recollection of this brutality resurfaced during the canonization of the Massabki brothers, who were martyred in Damascus on the night of July 9-10, 1860. How did it come to pass that over 20,000 Christians — half ...