Israeli Army Blocks Plan to Bring Syrian Druze Workers Amid Security Dispute
Tensions between Israeli ministers and military leadership stall a controversial move to recruit Syrian Druze workers, raising fears of regional escalation.
Watan-A dispute between Israeli Minister of Security Yisrael Katz and the leadership of the Israeli army’s Northern Command is preventing the entry of Druze workers from Syria into Israel due to security concerns. Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel has adopted the army’s position and has so far refrained from signing the permits that would allow the workers to enter, contrary to Katz’s wishes.
As part of Israel’s efforts to exploit Syria’s internal situation and appeal to certain segments of its population for destabilization purposes, Katz announced about two weeks ago his intention to bring in Druze workers from Syria to work in settlements in the occupied Golan Heights starting March 16. However, this plan has yet to materialize.
According to Haaretz, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, the delay in allowing the workers to enter stems from opposition by the commander of the army’s Northern Command, General Ori Gordin. The army claims Katz did not inform the command of his intention to permit entry on the specified date.
Military Pushback on Katz’s Syria Plan
Senior Israeli military officers have strongly criticized Katz’s public statements in the media and on social platforms regarding “sensitive issues” related to Syria. According to the report, they believe such remarks could lead to unnecessary escalation with Syria’s new administration, led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, and could endanger residents in the Israeli-occupied portion of the Golan Heights—communities the military is trying to build stronger ties with.
According to the same sources, army leadership believes the entry of Syrian workers should only happen after comprehensive vetting and verification of each individual’s identity. Otherwise, it would be difficult to detect attempts by “hostile actors” to exploit the opportunity to infiltrate Israel. Senior officers also argue that unprepared entry could endanger the workers themselves, as the Syrian regime or “terrorist organizations” could label them collaborators with Israel or attempt to extract information from them or recruit them upon their return.
Minister Arbel, who was asked by Katz to sign the entry permits, had not been informed in advance of the plan to allow the workers in, and instead learned about it through social media posts. Arbel has sided with the army in this dispute, and sources close to him say he is not willing to serve as a rubber stamp for the Security Minister. The Interior Ministry issued a statement saying: “Security work is currently ongoing and needs to be completed. Once it is, the Interior Minister will sign the entry permits.”
In addition to his comments about bringing in Syrian workers, Katz has recently expressed a willingness to intervene in Syrian affairs under the pretext of protecting the Druze community. About two weeks ago, he toured the recently occupied part of Mount Hermon with Deputy Chief of Staff Tamir Yadai, but without the participation of Northern Command chief Gordin. After the visit, Katz released a statement promising that Israel would “protect their Druze brothers in Syria from any threat.” According to Haaretz, Katz had not discussed the issue with senior security officials in advance.
Israel’s Druze Outreach Sparks Warning and Backlash
A source in the Israeli security establishment told Haaretz that any Israeli commitment to intervene in fighting in Druze villages near Damascus or deeper inside Syria could have serious consequences, potentially opening a new front. The Northern Command is not currently prepared for operations in these areas. According to a senior security source, “When Israel officially says it will step in to protect the Druze, that must be backed by an operational plan and an understanding that if the Syrian regime acts against them now, we must respond. If they are attacked and Israel fails to help for any reason, the damage to its image and the deterrence it achieved in the war will erode. These communities may come to believe it’s better to align with the Syrian regime.”
On March 14, a delegation of around 100 Druze religious leaders from Syria’s Quneitra and Rural Damascus governorates entered the occupied territories for what was described as a historic religious visit. The visit came in response to an invitation from Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of the Druze in Israel, who is known to be closely aligned with Israeli authorities and endorses their narrative. The delegation visited the shrine of Prophet Shuʿayb in Lower Galilee and attended the inauguration of a new religious center in the village of al-Buqei’a.
The visit sparked division among the Druze community in Syria and Lebanon. The Lebanese Druze leadership issued a statement at the time warning of the consequences of participating and vowing religious accountability for violators. Meanwhile, residents of the Syrian village of Hader in Quneitra issued a statement condemning the visit as an Israeli tool to sow division. They affirmed that the sheikhs who accepted the invitation “represent no one but themselves.”
