Controversial Druze leader Hikmat al-Hijri has escalated his rhetoric against the Syrian state, openly calling for the fragmentation of the country and declaring that his followers were "part of Israel", in remarks that have sparked widespread anger and rejection across Syria.
In an interview published on Tuesday by far-right Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, al-Hijri said he was seeking to carve out an independent Druze entity in Syria's southern Suweida province under Israeli backing, going as far as to frame his movement as embedded within Israel's existence.
He also confirmed a strategic alliance with Kurdish forces, insisting that Syria was heading towards partition and portraying this outcome as desirable.
"We see ourselves as an inseparable part of the existence of the State of Israel. This relationship is international and of critical importance," al-Hijri said, adding that despite Israel's repeated military attacks across the region, it was "the only guarantor and the party authorised to shape future arrangements".
He said the central demand was full independence, while allowing for a transitional phase of self-rule under the supervision of an external guarantor.
"In my opinion, the State of Israel is the appropriate party for that," al-Hijri said, promoting "the division and the establishment of autonomous governance alongside independence" as a model for Syria's future.
Al-Hijri's remarks come despite his followers representing a minority within Suweida and are not viewed as representative of the province's Druze community.
The Druze religious leadership in Sweida is divided among three authorities, and al-Hijri’s position has repeatedly clashed with that of other clerics.
He accused the Syrian government of extreme brutality, claiming that "the current system is the most brutal", while dismissing Damascus's repeated assertions that the Druze are an integral part of the Syrian state.
He also praised Israel's violations of Syrian sovereignty, carried out under the pretext of protecting Druze communities, saying: "It is no secret that Israel was the only country in the world that intervened militarily."
Despite humanitarian aid deliveries coordinated by the Syrian government into Suweida, al-Hijri insisted there was no relationship with Damascus and renewed his demand for an "independent Druze region".
He further claimed that ties between his followers and Israel predate the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024, citing longstanding "blood ties and family ties".
Al-Hijri's supporters have previously drawn widespread condemnation after openly calling for Israeli guardianship, organising demonstrations in which Israeli flags were raised, and appealing directly to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to intervene in Syria’s internal affairs.
There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government on al-Hijri's latest remarks. Damascus has previously stressed that protecting the Druze community was a responsibility of the state and has repeatedly condemned Israel's violations of Syrian sovereignty.
This is not the first time al-Hijri has praised Israel or pushed for secession. In September last year, he publicly thanked Netanyahu for Israeli military intervention against Syrian government forces following unrest in Sweida in July 2025.
The province has remained under a ceasefire agreement since that month, after clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze groups left hundreds dead and wounded.
However, groups linked to al-Hijri have repeatedly violated the truce and targeted military positions, while the government has maintained the ceasefire, facilitated evacuations, and allowed humanitarian aid into the area.
Since Assad's ouster in late 2024, Syria's new administration has pursued measures aimed at restoring security, advancing political and economic reforms, and promoting social cohesion, while expanding cooperation with regional and international partners.