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On Friday morning, Israeli warplanes struck at an area next to the Syrian capital in Damascus. This strike came after days of clashes from the pro-Syrian government of Ahmad al-Sharaa, attacking the Druze community near Damascus, leaving dozens of people dead or wounded.

On Thursday, Syria’s Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri harshly criticized Syria’s government for what he called an “unjustified genocidal attack” on the minority community. Yet, others withing the Druze community are issuing calls not to break away from the nation of Syria.

Why is Israel coming in to support the Druze community? What are the pros and cons of this move? Will this trigger a counter-reaction among the Druze or the Syriam population as a whole? Will this be opening up another front of the war?

About Our Speaker

Lt.-Col. (res.) Dr. Mordechai Kedar is a distinguished professor of  Arabic & Middle East literature and culture at Israel’s Bar Ilan University and a research associate at the University’s Begin-Sadat (BESA) Center for Strategic Studies.  Dr. Kedar is a 25-year veteran of IDF Military Intelligence.

Dr. Kedar is a sought-after lecturer in Israel and abroad and his extensive experience on intelligence, counterterrorism and Arab and Middle East affairs coupled with his charisma and intelligence makes every encounter fascinating and his geo-strategic analysis captivating. Dr. Kedar has frequently appeared on Israel’s television news networks as well as the Arabic-language Al Jazeera television network.