Netanyahu Discusses Syria and Druze Community at Election Event

During an election event on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that he had a direct conversation with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in the summer of 2025. The purpose of this exchange was reportedly to urge Sharaa against the mass killings of Druze people in Syria.

Reports suggest that this acknowledgment marks the first time Netanyahu has confirmed direct communication with Sharaa. Although Sharaa had previously noted some informal efforts to improve ties, Syria and Israel have had a strained relationship for decades due to the ongoing state of war. A significant issue between the two nations has been Israel’s control of the Golan Heights, a territory Syria claims and that Israel captured during the Six-Day War in 1967. Sharaa has emphasized that any potential normalization of relations must first address this territorial dispute.

Before Sharaa came to power in December 2024, following his victory in the Syrian Civil War with the al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Assad dynasty had ruled Syria for over fifty years, often having contentious relations with Israel. Bashar Assad, the previous dictator, fled to Moscow in 2024 when HTS gained control of Damascus and has been believed to reside there since.

Netanyahu spoke to a gathering of Druze voters in Israel as the country approached elections, promising to prioritize their concerns and ensure their protection from threats. He cited Israel’s military intervention in Syria the previous year, which was in response to attacks on Druze villagers in Sweida. In this context, he claimed that he called Sharaa to demand an end to the violence against Druze citizens in Syria.

“It was a very short, very sharp conversation, and the massacre was stopped,” Netanyahu asserted. “There is still work to be done; I cannot reveal everything.”

Netanyahu elaborated that this conversation took place following an Israeli strike on a Syrian military command center in July 2025, after regional Druze leaders urged the IDF to intervene.

“We dismantled the Defense Ministry in Damascus—just like that, it was gone,” Netanyahu said. “I called Sharaa, and the massacre stopped. I am committed to protecting our brothers. We won’t allow such atrocities to happen again; they must return to their homes. This commitment is deeply personal for me.”

Lower-level talks aimed at stabilizing relations have been confirmed by both governments. In May, before the Druze incidents, there was confirmation of discussions facilitated by the United Arab Emirates. More recently, in August, Syria’s state-run news agency reported that Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani engaged in peace talks with Israel through Jordan, though he pointed out a lack of trust in Israel while indicating a willingness to pursue diplomacy.

“We do not trust Israel at present. We deal with it through our interactions, but there is currently no trust,” Shaibani mentioned. “Israel has consistently attempted to secure its safety through force, but this has not worked. The door is still open, and I am hopeful that negotiations will resume soon.”

As of now, Sharaa’s government has not officially commented on Netanyahu’s claims. However, a Kurdish source reported that Sharaa’s administration “categorically rejects any attempts to politicize” the situation. They also claimed that Israeli actions had hindered Syrian efforts to protect the Druze last year.

“Israeli bombardment … obstructed the Syrian government from intervening to end the clashes between Druze and Bedouin communities,” the source alleged, accusing Israel of undermining civil peace by supporting an outlaw militia to instigate chaos.

Violence flared in July between the Druze and Sunni Muslim Bedouins in Suwayda after a Druze vegetable merchant was abducted by a Muslim gang. While the Damascus government contended it was responding quickly to protect lives, Druze leaders criticized both negligence and alleged collusion with radical Islamic factions for the lack of adequate support. A group of Druze leaders blamed the Sharaa government for the violence, claiming they either facilitated or overlooked aggressions against their community.