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Sources Reveal Tel Aviv's Plans for Southern Syria
In light of repeated Israeli attacks on several sites in southern Syria, and following the controversy sparked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's comments regarding the "protection of minorities" in Syria, signs of a plan being prepared by Tel Aviv have emerged.
Informed sources have revealed that Israel is attempting to persuade the Druze minority to assist in urging Syrian Druze to reject the new government. The sources indicated that Israel claimed it would spend over a billion dollars to support the Druze community, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
Furthermore, it was reported that the Israeli side is working to convince global powers to support the adoption of a federal system in Damascus based on independent ethnic regions, while making the southern border areas demilitarized.
Additionally, the sources noted that Tel Aviv perceives the political transformations in Syria as an increasing threat, prompting efforts to persuade Syrian Druze to reject the new government through a spending plan exceeding one billion dollars.
It was also claimed that some members of the Druze community in Syria have expressed concerns about the new regime, while others have voiced their support for Israel and called for their community to break away from Damascus.
It is worth mentioning that numerous widespread popular protests have recently taken place in Druze areas, condemning Israeli schemes. Druze leaders have also declared their commitment to the unity of Syria.
Last week, Netanyahu reaffirmed his government's commitment to protect the Druze minority, igniting a wave of protests in various regions of southern Syria denouncing such interventions.
Sheikh Akel of the Druze community in Syria, Hikmat al-Hajri, has repeatedly stated that their project is a national Syrian one, emphasizing the unity of the country, both land and people.
Since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime on December 8, the Israeli army has penetrated the buffer zone (in more than 10 locations) in the occupied Golan Heights, which has separated the Israeli and Syrian-controlled areas since 1974. Israeli forces quickly spread across multiple regions and points surrounding that area.
They also took control of the eastern side of Mount Sheikh, while Netanyahu claimed that this move is defensive, aimed at curbing potential threats to his country from the Syrian side.
