Druze of the Golan Heights reject Hikmat al-Hijri's statements
The religious body of four Druze villages in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights rejected statements by Hikmat al-Hijri, the spiritual leader of the Druze in Syria’s Sweida province. According to Asharq Al-Awsat, al-Hijri stated that the Druze are co-religionists of the State of Israel and an integral part of it.
The statement by the religious body of the four localities in the northern Golan Heights was published on Monday. It concerned al-Hijri’s comments made in a video at the end of the previous week. The publication also spoke with three prominent representatives of the Druze community from Majdal Shams, who disagreed with his position and expressed concern about Sweida’s future and Syria’s unity.
Criticism of al-Hijri’s position
Hassan Shams, a writer and journalist from Majdal Shams, called al-Hijri’s project separatist and said that, in his view, it has no historical, moral, logical, or national basis. He stated that claims that the Druze belong to Israel harm the future of the Druze community and Syria, and called on the highest Druze spiritual and secular leaders to publicly distance themselves from al-Hijri’s position.
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As Asharq Al-Awsat writes, after violence in Sweida in July 2025, during which hundreds of fighters from local Druze groups, military personnel, security force members, and civilians were killed, al-Hijri and the National Guard associated with him established control over a significant part of the province. According to the publication, he called for the self-determination of Sweida’s residents and sought to create an entity he calls the “State of Bashan,” with Israel’s support.
Statements by representatives of Majdal Shams
Nizar Ayoub, a researcher in international law, human rights, and transitional justice, stated that al-Hijri’s remarks regarding Israel have no basis either in reality or in law. In Ayoub’s view, Sweida, Daraa, and the occupied Golan Heights cannot become part of Israel, which he called an occupying power. He also described the “State of Bashan” as an unfeasible idea, citing the international community’s and Arab states’ support for Syria’s unity and territorial integrity.
Syrian writer and researcher Taer Kanj Abu Saleh also condemned al-Hijri’s statements. According to him, Israel is trying to use the Druze issue in Syria to weaken the country and hinder its recovery. He added that the authorities in Damascus, in his view, bear primary responsibility for the situation in Sweida and must find a solution to resolve the crisis.
