Israel’s Druze leader, Sheikh Tarif, calls for US and President Trump to guarantee Druze rights and push Syria toward granting the community autonomy.
Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel, has called on the Syrian government to rebuild trust with the Druze population in Syria, stressing that Washington’s involvement — and especially President Trump’s leadership — is central to securing their future.
Tarif told Reuters that “there is no trust in Syria today,” and that rebuilding it is essential to preventing renewed violence. He described the situation in Suwayda province as catastrophic: thousands killed or wounded, thousands displaced, women assaulted, water wells destroyed, and children left without food, medicine, or infant formula. He said it is “unthinkable” that the community is being asked to hand over its weapons after such suffering.
According to Tarif, the only path forward is granting the Druze the right to self-determination and some form of autonomy, comparing the desired model to Switzerland’s confederation or Germany’s federal structure. “The current situation is unacceptable,” he said.
