'Act Now or We Face Genocide': Syrian Druze Leader Pleads for Israel's Help

Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of Israel's Druze community, issued an urgent call to action during Wednesday's military ceremony at the Usfiya cemetery - the first of its kind established in a Druze town.

Standing before graves commemorating 435 fallen Druze soldiers, including 13 from the Swords of Iron War, and 20 Circassian soldiers, Tarif made an impassioned plea: "I urge the State of Israel, the international community, and the Jewish people to act immediately to prevent a massacre. Israel must not stand idly by while this is happening in Syria. The responsibility to act lies with the nation's leaders: you must act. The time for action is now."

The spiritual leader's urgent appeal came amid escalating violence against Syria's Druze community. Just a day earlier, more than a dozen people were killed in clashes near Damascus after Sunni factions were angered by a purported recording of a Druze man cursing the Prophet Mohammad.

Half the victims were Druze civilians, with the remainder being Syrian security forces attempting to quell the violence. Addressing Israel's political leadership present at the ceremony, Tarif challenged them: "I want the country's leaders and representatives to look into the eyes of the bereaved families gathered here around the graves on this mountain, which symbolizes the Druze-Jewish bond, and ask themselves, have you done enough for the sons and grandsons of the hundreds of fallen from the Druze community?" His words highlighted both the community's historic sacrifices for Israel and their current fears for relatives across the border.

The ceremony served as a powerful reminder of the Druze community's unique position in Israel, where they have served loyally in the military while maintaining deep ties to their brethren in neighboring Syria. With violence threatening to escalate further, Tarif's message carried particular weight - emphasizing both the moral obligation to protect vulnerable populations and the strategic importance of maintaining stability in the region.

The gathering at Usfiya's military cemetery, with its rows of graves honoring those who fell defending Israel, underscored the complex realities facing the Druze community as they navigate their dual identity and loyalties.