Israel repurposes the colonial logic of sectarianism in Syria

In Syria’s southern provinces, sectarian identity once fuelled by Ottoman modernisation reform and European encroachment is again weaponized—this time by Israel.

In the past few weeks, Syria’s Druze community has been thrust back into the spotlight. The town of Suwayda—home to the country’s largest Druze population—witnessed violent clashes after an incendiary audio recording, reportedly insulting to Islam, circulated online. More than a hundred people were killed. Armed groups descended, homes were looted, and retaliatory strikes followed.

In mid-March 2025, dozens of Syrian Druze clerics had crossed into Israel to undertake their community’s first pilgrimage to a revered shrine since Israel’s founding in 1948. Src: AP.

Israel, invoking a protective posture, carried out airstrikes near Damascus, including around key regime and military installations, claiming to shield the Druze minority from Islamist militias aligned with the new government. Israeli helicopters evacuated wounded Druze fighters across the border, and senior Israeli Druze leaders called publicly for international intervention. Far from a humanitarian gesture alone, Israel’s invo…