بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Question:
Axios reported that a high-level meeting took place in Paris between ‘Israeli’ Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shibani, mediated by the U.S. special envoy to Syria, Thomas Barak, on 25/7/2025. The past few days since 12/7/2025 have witnessed an escalation in unrest in Al-Suwayda [Sweida] Governorate in southern Syria, which is predominantly inhabited by Druze. The Jewish entity has declared its intervention in their affairs alongside continuing its aggression and attacks in Syria. It struck around the presidential palace, and struck the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff in Damascus.
So the question is: What is the reality of what is happening in Al-Suwayda? What is the Jewish entity planning for the Suwayda region and southern Syria in general, and does America support its plans? And what is the relationship between all of this and the talks of normalization between the Syrian regime and the Jewish entity, especially the meetings that occurred in Azerbaijan? And the referenced meetings in Paris? May Allah reward you with goodness.
Answer:
To clarify the answers to the above questions, we review the following matters:
1- As for the Druze, their number in Syria is estimated at about 700,000, living in areas in southern Syria, especially in the Al-Suwayda Governorate. A portion of them lives in Lebanon, estimated at around 250,000, and another portion, estimated at around 140,000, resides in northern Palestine and the Golan Heights. The Jewish entity has granted its citizenship to those living in the occupied areas, and some of them have joined its army ranks. Thus, the Jewish entity uses them as a pretext to intervene in Syria. It has incited them since the end of last February in Jaramana and Sahnaya near the capital, Damascus... and in the recent events in Al-Suwayda that erupted since 12 July 2025, the Jewish entity explicitly announced that it supports the Druze and works to exploit them. Druze militias carried out acts of violence against Muslim Bedouins residing in Al-Suwayda Governorate, killing hundreds of them. The Prime Minister of the Jewish entity, Netanyahu, declared in a speech broadcast by Jewish television and other media on 17/7/2025: “We have set a clear policy, demilitarizing the area south of Damascus, from the Golan Heights to the Druze mountains, is one [red] line. The second line [is] protecting… the Druze in the Druze mountains.” The Jewish entity’s Minister of War, Yisrael Katz, sent threats to Syria via the X platform on 16 July 2025, saying, “The signals to Damascus are over; now comes the painful blows. The army will continue to operate forcefully in Al-Suwayda to destroy the forces that attacked the Druze until their complete withdrawal.” The spokesperson for the Jewish army said on the X platform: “The army continues to strike military targets of the Syrian regime. A short while ago, it attacked the headquarters of the Syrian General Staff in the Damascus area.” On the same day, the Jewish entity’s Army Radio announced: “It attacked about 160 targets in Syria since last night, most of them in Al-Suwayda ‘against Syrian security forces and Bedouins,’ and some in the capital Damascus.” Strikes were announced on the presidential palace, the Ministry of Defense, and the General Staff in Damascus.
2- Thus, the Jewish entity explicitly announces its objectives and policy and that it exploits the Druze to implement this policy towards Syria, making their affairs of concern to it and not to the Syrian regime, as if it is implicitly carving this region out of Syria and becoming the one in control over it. It has not stopped its attacks in Syria during the rule of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime, but it had not used the Druze as a pretext for that; rather, it used the presence of Iran and its followers as the excuse. It struck many military centers of the regime and also of Iran, which was supporting the regime with its militias, and it bombed its consulate in Damascus and killed many Iranian military leaders. On the day Bashar Al-Assad fled on 8/12/2024, the Jewish entity launched intensive raids for several consecutive days and struck hundreds of Syrian military sites. When it received no response or resistance, it grew more ambitious and continued its aggressions until it invaded new Syrian territories, reaching approximately 25 kilometers from the capital Damascus and occupying Mount Hermon. It violated the 1974 disengagement and ceasefire agreements. The Jewish entity wants to secure southern Syria as a demilitarized safe buffer zone, playing the minority card, especially the Druze.
3- Following these events, Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa delivered a speech broadcast by Syrian television and other Arab channels on the morning of 17/7/2025, in which he said: (“We were between the option of war with Israel or allowing the Druze elders to reach an agreement, so we chose to protect the homeland.” He said: “Israel sought to undermine the ceasefire ‘in Al-Suwayda’ were it not for American, Arab, and Turkish mediation.”) He gave a second speech on 19/7/2025, as reported by the Syrian News Agency and broadcast by TV channels, in which he said: (“The Syrian state managed to calm the situation despite the difficulty of the circumstances, but the Israeli intervention pushed the country into a dangerous stage that threatens its stability due to the blatant bombardment of the south and government institutions in Damascus. As a result of these events, American and Arab mediation tried to calm the situation.”) He relies on the intervention of other countries, foremost among them America, which sponsors and supports the Jewish entity, in order to give them a way over him!
4- Then the events escalated, and the relationship between the Jews and Hikmat al-Hijri began to become clearer, as he tightened his grip on the internal front in Al-Suwayda. Under slogans like “uniting the ranks within the sect and consoling the families of the martyrs,” he began eliminating voices not supporting him, such as those of Jarbou, Al-Bala’ous, and Al-Hanawi. And while Hikmat al-Hijri’s faction is the largest in Al-Suwayda and dominates the other factions, the voices of opponents like Al-Jarbou’ and Al-Bala’ous have become timid in their call to remain within the Syrian state, with no real weight on the ground. It is Hikmat al-Hijri who ignites confrontations and reneges on agreements made with Damascus, and his current dominates Al-Suwayda. He issues statements in the name of the spiritual leadership of the Druze sect, with no regard to the authorities of Al-Jarbou’ and Al-Hanawi. It is clear that he is in direct contact with the Jewish entity, as he had sent dozens of Druze visitors to the entity. Hikmat al-Hijri issued a statement in the name of the Druze spiritual presidency saying: (“We appeal to the free world and all influential powers in it, and we direct our call to His Excellency President (American) Donald Trump, and the Prime Minister (Israeli) Benjamin Netanyahu, and Crown Prince (Saudi) Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and His Majesty (Jordanian) King Abdullah II, and to everyone who has a voice and influence in this world... Save Al-Suwayda.” (Anadolu Agency, 17/7/2025). The Jewish entity opened its border gates to Druze inside the entity to join the fighting inside Syria. RT reported on 19/7/2025 that about 2,000 people from the Druze sect, including soldiers serving in the Jewish army, announced their intention to join the fighting in Syria in just one day.
5- It is worth noting that the Damascus government has made itself the weakest link in the sequence of events surrounding Al-Suwayda and southern Syria. In addition to its complacency and weakness in the face of all the military strikes carried out by the Jewish entity against it and its forces strikes that reached southern Syria with killings and arrests as if there were no state at all this absence of state response is based on the advice of Erdogan, who declared his support for the American president’s request for Damascus to join the Abraham Accords (Middle East, 6/7/2025). Erdogan facilitated contacts between the Shar’ government and the Jewish entity in Azerbaijan. Thus, Ahmad Al-Shar’s government became extremely fragile in the Al-Suwayda crisis. It intervened to stop the clashes in the area and withdrew in humiliation under the bombardment of the Jewish entity, which targeted the General Staff of the army and nearly reached the presidential palace. Then the U.S. and so-called Arab and Turkish mediation intervened to bring back security forces but this time from the Ministry of Interior, not the army, and with light weapons. It later became clear that these government forces never entered Al-Suwayda at all; rather, their mission was to prevent Arab tribes from continuing their attack on Al-Suwayda. That is, they stood on the outskirts of the province without entering it. In fact, the Jewish entity had demanded this, that they prevent the tribes from attacking Al-Suwayda. In every agreement, the rebel Hikmat al-Hijri is the one who breaks it and demands new terms, forcing the government to draft yet another new agreement, with the latest one being the fourth within one week. The Ahmad Al-Sharaa government, through negotiations, removed the tribal militants from inside Al-Suwayda without entering it and then proceeded to displace the tribes residing in Al-Suwayda. It relocated and displaced hundreds of Muslim families from Al-Suwayda to shelters in Daraa. This is something Hikmat al-Hijri is also doing. “Clashes resumed on Friday after a group affiliated with Hikmat al-Hijri, one of the Druze leaders, forcibly displaced a number of Sunni Bedouin tribesmen and committed violations against them.” (Anadolu Agency, 21/7/2025). Thus, the new Syrian government has practically proven that it accepts ruling Syria according to what America dictates, with its path drawn by the U.S. ambassador in Turkey and its envoy to Syria, Tom Barak!
6- Upon pondering the events in Syria, it becomes clear that America is managing it according to a plan that did not begin today, though it escalated after the arrival of Trump.
(The American president Donald Trump called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting at the White House, to "solve his problems" with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "and act rationally." Trump said in his comments to journalists during his meeting with Netanyahu: "I have a great relationship with a man named Erdogan. I love him, and he loves me, and that’s what angers the media." He explained that he told Netanyahu he "loves Erdogan," and if he has problems with him, he should resolve them, stressing: "The Israelis must act rationally to resolve any issues with Turkey." (Al Jazeera, 8/4/2025) Then: (Trump met on Wednesday in Riyadh with transitional Syrian president Ahmad Al-Sharaa in the first meeting of its kind in 25 years, the day after announcing his decision to lift sanctions on Damascus a move welcomed by Syria as a "pivotal turning point." A White House spokesperson said that Trump urged the Syrian president to sign the Abraham Accords with ‘Israel’. (France 24, 14/5/2025).
Through this meeting and the lifting of sanctions on Syria, and his request that Netanyahu coordinate his activities in Syria with Turkey, President Trump and his administration are working to dominate Syria.
7- Thus, it is clear that the American plan in Syria is based on a fundamental premise: replacing one agent with another. For that purpose, Turkey was given the green light to dismantle Bashar's regime and build a new one loyal to it. Despite all the submissive statements from the new Syrian president, Ahmad Al-Sharaa, indicating his acceptance of this replacement—such as abandoning the rule of Islam, abandoning the prosecution of Bashar’s followers, and replacing that with national reconciliation, he even went so far as to open negotiations with the Jewish entity behind a curtain... Then in Azerbaijan on 12/7/2025, openly above the curtain, and later in the Paris meetings: Axios reported that a high-level meeting took place in Paris between ‘Israeli’ Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Al-Sheibani, mediated by U.S. special envoy to Syria Tom Barrak. These negotiations, which lasted about four hours, are the first of their kind between the two countries in 25 years. They focused on reducing tensions in southern Syria, imposing security, and a ceasefire. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights revealed that an agreement was reached between Syria and "Israel," mediated by the U.S., containing seven main clauses related to the ceasefire in the south, particularly in Al-Suwayda, which has witnessed a serious escalation since 12 July. According to the Observatory, the agreement stipulates transferring the entire Al-Suwayda file to U.S. administration. The agreement also stipulates forming local councils from Al-Suwayda residents to provide services, forming a violations documentation committee that reports directly to the American side, disarming Daraa and Quneitra provinces, and forming local security committees there without allowing possession of heavy weapons. (Axios / Ain Libya, 25/7/2025). All this confirms that America wants southern Syria to be a buffer and safe zone for the Jewish entity, and that it is satisfied with its repeated aggressions in order to force the regime to accept this situation for normalization. The meetings in Azerbaijan and Paris are successive steps along this path. According to media leaks, the most prominent point under negotiation is: establishing a buffer security zone in southern Syria for the benefit of the Jewish entity, similar to the one in Sinai between Egypt and the Jewish entity under the peace treaty signed by the Egyptian regime in 1979, which still prevents the people of Egypt from mobilizing to support their brothers in Gaza, who are facing genocide.
8- Finally, it is truly painful that Syria Ash-Sham which the Messenger of Allah (saw) said about it in his noble hadith reported by al-Tabarani... from Salamah ibn Nufayl who said: The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: »عُقْرُ دَارِ الإِسْلامِ بِالشَّامِ«“the abode of Islam will be in Ash-Sham” has now fallen under a regime that rules it far from Islam, and its ruler throws himself into loyalty to America and submission to the Jewish entity without fighting it, but instead seeking to sign peace agreements with it and do what pleases this entity and its backer, America.
He even left the members of Hizb ut Tahrir those calling for the Khilafah Rashidah (Rightly Guided Caliphate) in prison and did not release them, to appease America and the Jews who are enemies of the Khilafah (Caliphate) and its people, deluding himself that pleasing the enemies of Allah would preserve his regime! He forgot or pretended to forget the saying of the Messenger of Allah (saw) reported by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih from Urwah, from Aisha (ra), who said: The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
«مَنِ الْتَمَسَ رِضَا اللهِ بِسَخَطِ النَّاسِ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ، وَأَرْضَى النَّاسَ عَنْهُ، وَمَنِ الْتَمَسَ رِضَا النَّاسِ بِسَخَطِ اللهِ سَخَطَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ، وَأَسْخَطَ عَلَيْهِ النَّاسَ»
“Whoever seeks the pleasure of Allah at the cost of people's anger, Allah will be pleased with him and make the people pleased with him. And whoever seeks the pleasure of people at the cost of Allah’s anger, Allah will be angry with him and make the people angry with him.” It was also narrated by al-Tirmidhi in his Sunan with the wording: «مَنْ الْتَمَسَ رِضَا اللهِ بِسَخَطِ النَّاسِ كَفَاهُ اللهُ مُؤْنَةَ النَّاسِ وَمَنْ الْتَمَسَ رِضَا النَّاسِ بِسَخَطِ اللهِ وَكَلَهُ اللهُ إِلَى النَّاسِ»“Whoever seeks the pleasure of Allah while displeasing the people, Allah will suffice him against the people. And whoever seeks the pleasure of people while displeasing Allah, Allah will entrust him to the people.”
In any case, we are reassured that the Caliphate will return after this oppressive rule that we are living in: Ahmad narrated in his Musnad from Hudhayfah who said: The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
«... ثُمَّ تَكُونُ مُلْكاً جَبْرِيَّةً فَتَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ، ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا، ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةً عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ. ثُمَّ سَكَتَ»
“Then there will be tyrannical kingship, and it will remain as long as Allah wills, then He will remove it when He wills, then there will be a Caliphate upon the Prophetic method.” Then he fell silent. It was also reported by al-Tayalisi in his Musnad. At that time, Islam and the Muslims will be honored, and disbelief (kufr) and the disbelievers (kuffar) will be humiliated. And give glad tidings to the believers:
[وَأُخْرَى تُحِبُّونَهَا نَصْرٌ مِنَ اللهِ وَفَتْحٌ قَرِيبٌ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ]
“And [you will obtain] another [favor] that you love - victory from Allah and an imminent conquest; and give good tidings to the believers.” [Surah As-Saff:13].