President Ahmed al-Sharaa must “protect the Druze in the suburbs of Damascus from attacks by jihadist rioters,” said Defense Minister Israel Katz.

More than 500 residents of Syria were allowed by their country’s new rulers and Jerusalem to join a pilgrimage in the Galilee.

“We will strengthen ties with the residents of the region.”

With Israel on their side, the Druze of southern Syria, and perhaps Lebanon, have hope for a brighter future.

“If the regime harms the Druze, it will be harmed by us,” Netanyahu and Katz said in joint statement.

Historically loyal to the Assad regime, the ethno-religious minority fears retribution by Islamist forces that ousted the dictator.

The war has claimed painful sacrifices from the community, but solidarity and a sense of shared fate with the Jewish state remain strong.

“Why is Beirut still standing?” townspeople ask ministers at mass funeral.

After decades of loyalty to the Assad regime, Syria’s Druze minority feels besieged by the Iranian axis. Hezbollah’s attack on Majdal Shams may prove the final straw.