With the Islamic State group on the march in Syria, Israeli policy makers have been increasingly concerned that it will soon start perpetrating cross-border attacks to the Israeli side of the Golan Heights. But it seems that, at least for now, the organization is still preoccupied with the ongoing fighting in Syria. Over the past several weeks, it has intensified its attacks on the so-called Mountain of the Druze, an area with a large concentration of Druze close to the Jordanian border. But Islamic State is not the only threat on the Druze. The Nusra Front -- an al-Qaida affiliate that is considered more pragmatic and moderate -- has been closing in on the mountain from the west as well as on the Druze villages on the slopes of Mount Hermon, a stone's throw away from Israel's Druze communities in the northern Golan Heights. The Nusra Front has recently taken over the Idlib governorate in northern Syria, home to thousands of Druze. Many of them fled, and those that stayed behind were forced to stop practicing their religion. They had to destroy their prayer houses and accept the front's way of life. Last week thousands of Druze were reportedly killed by the organization's militants. The Druze have been loyal to the Syrian regime for decades on end. This loyalty remained intact even after the Syrian civil war broke out. It has grown stronger as the insurgency became more Islamic-oriented. But President Bashar Assad did not return the favor. He has left them to their own devices, essentially forsaking that loyal group. Assad is the captain of a sinking ship; he would like to get rid of extra cargo. His regime is incapable of lending a hand, nor does it harbor any such desire. But above all, his troops are already bogged down in the ongoing fighting against Islamic State and the Nusra Front. Assad is currently focused on salvaging what's left of his regime. At the top of his priorities lie Damascus and the coast, home to the backbone of his regime, the Alawites. Unlike the Alawite sect, the Druze do not play a critical role in the regime's survival and have therefore had to fend for themselves. The Druze are known for their cohesiveness and their willingness to put up a fight against any ill-wisher. But faced with a swarm of Nusra Front and Islamic State fighters, they will have to rely on outside assistance. They are still deliberating their next move. They may ultimately choose not to turn to Israel, having tied their fate to that of Syria (even though the state only nominally exists). If the noose tightens on the Druze villages in the Mount Hermon area, the Druze might plead for Israeli help -- and even seek refuge in the Jewish state. The Druze of southern Syria, however, are unlikely to seek Israel's help because they lack a safe passage to the Golan Heights, owing to the presence of Islamic State and Nusra Front fighters. Such a long journey would entail many risks. Having Israel help the Druze would make strategic sense because Islamic State will obviously turn west once it "takes care" of the Mountain of Druze. Apart from the strategic considerations, Israelis also have a moral imperative to help this persecuted ethno-religious community, not least because of the long-standing debt we owe the loyal Druze of Israel, who have had to stand by and watch as their brethren suffer.
The Druze's growing predicament
פרופ' אייל זיסר
פרופ' אייל זיסר הוא מומחה למזה"ת ואפריקה וסגן הרקטור באוניברסיטת תל אביב
