Sheikh al-Aql Hikmat al-Hijri made the declaration at a gathering in Suwayda, praising Israel's model of state-building and saying the two communities shared doctrinal "common denominators," a statement that deepens the rift with Damascus.

Al-Hijri also suggested that developments concerning Sweida could emerge “within days,” without elaborating on their nature, as the province remains the focus of intensifying…

Druze leaders across the Levant must reject efforts by Israel and its supporters to subsume their centuries-old identity