Hundreds of Syrian Druze Clerics Visit Israel for Religious Pilgrimage Despite Tensions
Around 600 Druze religious leaders from Syria travel to Israel for an annual religious event at the shrine of Prophet Shu'ayb, amid political sensitivities and historical complexities.
Watan-Nearly 600 Druze religious leaders from Syria will travel to Israel on Friday to participate in a religious event, according to two local sources. This marks the second visit of its kind since last month.
The visit is part of a tradition more than 140 years old, in which Druze clerics from Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan travel to the shrine of Prophet Shu’ayb in the Galilee region between April 22 and 25 each year. Participation from all three countries diminished, particularly after the 1948 Nakba.
Abu Yazan, the village elder of Hadar—located in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights—and a participant in the visit, said: “400 clerics from Hadar and the city of Jaramana (a Damascus suburb) will head to Israel after receiving approval for their names from the Israeli side.”
Syrian Druze Clerics Enter Israel for One-Night Religious Visit via Golan Checkpoint
The Israeli authorities will transport them by bus from a newly established checkpoint north of Hadar in Quneitra Governorate, he added.
According to the sources, more than 150 clerics from the southern Sweida province are also participating. The delegation reportedly notified the Syrian government of its intention to visit Israel but received neither approval nor objection.
The clerics will stay for one night with Israeli permission. Abu Yazan explained, “We requested a week-long stay to visit the shrine and our fellow Druze, but the Israeli side only allowed one night under its supervision.” He emphasized that the purpose of the visit is “strictly religious,” despite mounting criticism over repeated visits.
The Suwayda 24 local news outlet reported that the visit was coordinated between Druze religious bodies in Syria and Israel. Druze authorities in the Galilee submitted the visitors’ names to Israeli officials, who approved the Syrian delegation’s entry and participation in the event.
Druze communities are spread across Lebanon, Israel, the occupied Golan Heights, and Syria—primarily in Sweida province, adjacent to Quneitra.
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Since Syria’s war began in 2011, the Druze community has largely avoided direct involvement. Most did not take up arms against the regime, nor did they significantly join opposition forces, aside from a minority. Many young men avoided mandatory conscription, choosing instead to defend their local areas, and Damascus has largely turned a blind eye to this.
Recent statements by Israeli officials stirred controversy in Syria. Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said early last month that “if the regime harms the Druze, we will hurt it,” following limited clashes in Jaramana, a town home to both Druze and Christians.
Druze leaders and religious authorities in Syria firmly rejected Katz’s comments, reaffirming their commitment to Syria’s unity. Transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa echoed this sentiment, calling on the international community to pressure Israel to withdraw “immediately” from recently advanced positions in southern Syria, following the ousting of former President Bashar al-Assad.
