Hikmat al-Hijri's Appeal for International Intervention to Help al-Suwayda'

Hikmat al-Hijri- one of the three most senior Druze spiritual leaders in Syria (mashayakh al-‘aql)- had already launched an appeal yesterday for Druze mobilisation in response to violations by Syrian government forces despite the initial statement ‘welcoming’ the entry of those forces (which he portrayed as ‘humiliating’ and the result of pressure). However, the tone of the appeal issued today via his Facebook page marks a more hardline tone towards the government and a more explicit iteration of his previous calls for ‘international protection’ for the Druze community, even going so far as to address Israel’s prime minister in the appeal for help.

Although Hijri’s positions do not reflect the entirety of the Druze community in al-Suwayda’, one of the issues regarding a final resolution for the status of al-Suwayda’ province is that consensus is required among all three mashaykh al-‘aql. At this point, either the government essentially imposes its control by force over the province (a prospect that still seems more likely than not in my view, given that the government does possess the advantage in manpower and firepower, and it is also suggested by the tone of this appeal) or the government incurs losses that are too high and thus makes a concession to revert to the prior status quo in which external security and military forces leave the province and stay out. The prospect of the latter will be made more likely if there is greater Israeli intervention in the form of more intense airstrikes in particular.

Below is the statement translated.