A delegation of clerics from Syria’s Druze is set to arrive today, April 25, to Israel in order to perform a pilgrimage to a sacred shrine, according to Arab News.
Today’s tour marked Druze’s second visit to Israel since the ousting of Bashar Assad.
A Syrian official and a local news organization said that the clerics would cross the border on foot despite the fact that both Syria and Israel are technically at war.
Hundreds of Syrian clerics will visit the Nabi Shuaib shrine in north Israel’s Galilee region. This shrine holds an annual pilgrimage each year from April 25 to 28.
After obtaining an Israeli approval, 400 clerics from Hader on the Syrian Golan Heights and the Damascus suburb of Jaramana are heading to Israel.
In addition, approximately 150 Druze clerics from Sweida would join the delegation, according to Suwayda24, a news organization from nearby Sweida province.
The clerics informed the Syrian government of their plan to enter Israel. However, they did not receive any response, the website added.
Importantly, the delegation will spend the night in Israel.
“We requested to stay for a week to visit the shrine” and other members of the religious community “but the Israeli side only authorized one night,” Abu Yazan, one of the participants, said.
The Druze
The Druze, a group with the esoteric, monotheistic faith, basically live in Syria, Israel and Lebanon. They represent nearly 3% of Syria’s population and mainly exit in the south.
After the ousting of Assad in December, the Israeli occupation launched hundreds of air strikes on Syria and deployed its forces into the demilitarized buffer zone of the Golan.
At the same time, Israel has revealed its full support for Syria’s Druze.
After a clash between government-linked forces and Druze fighters in Jaramana, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the Israeli authorities would never allow the new Syrian government “to harm the Druze.”
However, Druze leaders neglected the warning and emphasized their loyalty to a united Syria.
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