Netanyahu Vows to Protect Druze in Syria, Strikes Damascus Targets

“I want to update you on what we have done in Syria and what we will do in Syria.

We established a clear policy: demilitarization of the area south of Damascus, from the Golan Heights to the Druze Mountain region, that’s one line. The second line is protecting our brothers, the Druze, in the Druze Mountain. Both of these were violated by the regime in Damascus. It sent its army south of Damascus into the area that was supposed to be demilitarized, and it began massacring the Druze. We could not accept this under any circumstances.

Therefore, I instructed the IDF to act and to act forcefully. The Air Force struck both the murderous gangs and their armored vehicles. I also added a target to strike the Ministry of Defense in Damascus. As a result of this intense operation, a ceasefire was established, and the Syrian forces withdrew back to Damascus.

This is important. This ceasefire was achieved through strength, not through requests, not through pleas, but through strength. We achieve peace through strength, calm through strength, security through strength, across seven fronts.This will also be our continued policy: we will not allow military forces to move south of Damascus, and we will not allow harm to come to the Druze in Jabal Druze.

I want to share with you something that deeply moved me in the last two days. Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the leader of the Druze in Israel, reached out to me.

He said, ‘During the Holocaust, when you, the Jews, were being slaughtered, you called for help, and no one came. Today, they are slaughtering us, the Druze, and we are calling for Israel’s help.’ And I told him: he is right.

We acted, and we will continue to act as needed.”