PRESS RELEASE: To Stabilize Syria, JINSA Report Urges U.S. Action
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 4, 2025
Contact: Blake Johnson
bjohnson@jinsa.org
Washington, DC — In response to the devastating violence that erupted earlier this month in Syria’s southern Suwayda province, the Jewish Institute for National Security of America released a new report today, warning that the crisis exposes dangerous fault lines in Syria’s fragile transitional government, with serious implications for America’s regional interests.
The report, “Fault Line: The Suwayda Crisis and Its Implications for Syria’s Future,” offers a comprehensive analysis of the July 2025 sectarian violence between Druze and Bedouin militias. With at least 1,000 individuals dead—including an American citizen—and over 128,000 displaced, the crisis demonstrates how Syria’s new leadership, led by former jihadist Ahmed al-Sharaa, is failing to safeguard religious minorities, fueling fears of renewed civil war and the resurgence of jihadist groups.
“This crisis is a wake-up call,” said Blaise Misztal, JINSA Vice President for Policy. “The treatment of Syria’s Druze minority is not just a humanitarian tragedy—it’s a strategic indicator of whether the new regime will become a stable partner or devolve into another extremist threat on Israel’s doorstep. The United States must act decisively.”
The report underscores why Israel—home to a large and integrated Druze population—views events in Suwayda as a matter of national security. Israeli airstrikes, intended to protect Syria’s Druze community, risked escalating into a broader regional conflict. The United States must help restore order and enshrine minority protections in Syria’s post-Assad political order.
Without strong U.S. leadership, Syria risks becoming a renewed base for extremist ideologies and Iranian proxies, undermining a decade of American counterterrorism and stabilization efforts.
Key recommendations from the report include:
- Brokering a Long-Term Ceasefire: The U.S. should establish a robust multilateral ceasefire mechanism—modeled on the 2024 Israel-Lebanon agreement—led by CENTCOM and involving Israel, Jordan, and United Nations observers. This mechanism should explicitly authorize Israeli military response to ceasefire violations that threaten Druze civilians or regional stability.
- Creating a Humanitarian Corridor from Jordan: Washington must immediately establish a direct, internationally monitored aid corridor from Jordan to Suwayda, independent of Syrian government control, to deliver emergency food, water, fuel, and medical supplies.
- Linking Caesar Act Sanctions to Minority Protections: Renewal of U.S. sanctions waivers should be conditioned on President Sharaa’s government taking concrete steps to assure the security of the Druze and begin a political process to address their demands for political inclusion.
The new Syrian government’s treatment of minorities is an important bellwether of the regime’s ability and willingness to turn Syria into a stable, constructive, and moderate regional player.
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