Israel in indirect talks with Syrian rebels – report

The source said communication is occurring through the Druze community in Israel and Syria, the Kurdish population, intelligence organizations, and US officials.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

An Israeli source says Israel is carrying out indirect talks with Syrian rebels, Arutz Sheva reports.

The source said communication is occurring through the Druze community in Israel and Syria, the Kurdish population, intelligence organizations, and US officials.

“There is someone to speak to on the other side, and messages were passed,” the source said, indicating Israel will continue operations to eliminate weapons held by the Assad regime.

The source says the United States fully approves Israel’s indirect communication with Syrian rebels.

Defense Minister Israel Katz has encouraged the IDF to capture more areas in the buffer zone close to Syria’s border with Israel.

According to TPS, Israeli security officials are recruiting prominent Israeli Druze leaders to assist in fostering connections with Syrian Druze communities.

On Sunday, Maj.-Gen. Shlomi Bender, head of the Israeli army’s Intelligence Directorate, met with Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of Israel’s Druze community, according to Lt.-Col. Avichay Adraee, spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces in Arabic.

“The head of the Intelligence Directorate and His Eminence Sheikh Tarif discussed recent developments in Syria and their impact on the Druze community,” Adraee tweeted.

The initiative follows instructions from Defense Minister Israel Katz, who directed the IDF on Sunday to establish contact with the Syrian Druze and other local communities.

There are an estimated 700,000 to 800,000 Druze in Syria, primarily in the southwestern regions near Israel and Jordan. They make up about four percent of Syria’s population.

Israel’s Druze community, numbering around 152,000, traces its ancestry to Jethro, the Biblical figure and father-in-law of Moses.

Israeli Druze hold prominent positions in both public and military life, and the deep bond between Jewish and Druze soldiers is often referred to as the “covenant of blood.”

During Israel’s War of Independence in 1948, the Druze living in the Galilee and Mount Carmel regions chose to align with the Jewish community. They decided to integrate into Israeli society and have since established themselves across all sectors of public life.

DruzeSyria IsraelSyrian rebels