Walid Jumblatt warned Druze in Syria against foreign influence, urging them to uphold their identity and resist divisions. He emphasized the necessity of protecting their heritage amid Israeli outreach and criticized recent visits by Syrian Druze leaders to Israel. He also marked the end of annual commemorations for his father due to justice served with the arrest of a key figure in his assassination.
Walid Jumblatt, the Lebanese Druze leader, has alerted Druze communities in Syria to the threats posed by foreign interference. At a ceremony commemorating the 48th anniversary of his father Kamal Jumblatt’s assassination in Mukhtara, he urged Druze to resist divisions and uphold their identity. He emphasized historical resistance against foreign attempts to influence their community amid rising Israeli outreach to Syrian Druze, which has raised alarm among regional leaders.
Jumblatt called on the Syrian Druze to protect their shared struggle alongside Syrian and Arab citizens against occupation and colonialism, particularly concerning the Golan region. He warned against potential manipulation and “Zionist infiltration,” stressing that maintaining their Islamic heritage is crucial to preventing Syria’s division.
In conjunction with his warnings, Jumblatt announced the end of the annual commemoration for his father’s assassination, citing satisfaction in the recent arrest of Ibrahim Huwayja, the former Syrian Air Force Intelligence Chief, associated with the killing. He remarked, “Justice has finally been served, even if it took a long time.”
Jumblatt reiterated the Progressive Socialist Party’s commitment to Lebanese unity and emphasized the need for a complete Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. He highlighted the importance of redefining the relationships between Lebanon and Syria based on new principles and clarified that the recent visit by a group of Syrian Druze leaders to Israel should not change perceptions about the ongoing occupation of Palestine and the Golan Heights. He noted that such visits, whether religious or otherwise, are merely symbolic and do not alter the reality of occupation.
Walid Jumblatt warns Syrian Druze against foreign interference, urging them to maintain unity and resist divisions. His speech emphasized the historical resistance of the Druze community, the need to safeguard their Islamic identity, and the rejection of external influences, particularly from Israel. He also highlighted the Progressive Socialist Party’s commitment to Lebanon’s unity and urged for a reevaluation of the relationship between Lebanon and Syria following Israeli occupation.
Original Source: www.tehrantimes.com
