Israel’s survival and lessons learned from Syria’s downfall

Minority communities in Syria face grave danger, yet the world’s attention is elsewhere revealing a troubling pattern in international relations.

Avi Abelow | Mar 23, 2025

The Druze town of Buka (a small valley) in the Gol.  By Roded Shlomo Pikiwiki Israel, CC BY 2.5

A massacre taking place in Syria as Turkish-backed Sunni Muslim forces are murdering Alawites and Christians in their homes, on the streets and in the fields. Whole families and communities are being slaughtered. Yet as Syrians plead for the world to pay attention, it remains silent. There has been virtually no media attention despite plenty of video clips showing the massacres.

Sadly, the world pays little mind when Muslims kill other Muslims. And as this ethnic cleansing takes place in Syria, Western leaders are embracing Syria’s new Al-Qaeda-trained leader behind the massacre. 

This is all happening on Israel’s northern border with Syria. For Israel, this reality confirms what many have long understood: Our struggle is existential, not merely political.

The tragedy of Oct. 7 brought this truth into stark relief for many Israelis. Our adversaries—whether Sunni Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood or Shi’ite Hezbollah and Iran—don’t simply oppose our policies. They reject our very existence. This war isn’t about managing a conflict, it is about ensuring our survival.

Syria’s Alawite minority ruled for decades but remained vulnerable—they never secured their position demographically. Their dependence on alliances with Iran and Russia proved insufficient when crisis struck. When Turkish-backed forces overthrew the Assad regime, their supposed allies were either weakened or distracted.

While the Alawite minority ruled Syria, led by former President Bashar Assad and his father before him, they remained vulnerable. The Alwawites aligned themselves with another minority, Iran’s Shi’ite Muslims, and were barbaric toward Syria’s majority Sunni Muslims. Syria’s other minorities, including Christians and Druze, remained relatively safe. But with the Alawite Assad regime gone, Sunni Muslims are now in control of Syria and are massacring Alawites along with Christians and Druze.

Israel must learn from this as the geopolitical lesson is clear: Alliances in the Middle East are temporary. Iran was once Israel’s ally—until the Islamic Revolution. Turkey was friendly until its current leader, who is connected to the Muslim Brotherhood, gained prominence. Today’s regional partnerships—with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan—could shift tomorrow. As Dr. Mordechai Kedar aptly noted, “Agreements in the Middle East are like desert sand, changing with the wind.”

This reality demands self-reliance. The past 12 years have demonstrated that even our closest allies can pursue policies detrimental to our security. While we appreciate supportive administrations, we cannot base our survival on the political currents of other nations.

International relations rarely revolve around human rights or justice. The same Western institutions that issue arrest warrants for our leaders meet with figures responsible for brutality elsewhere. This hypocrisy underscores that nations act in self-interest, not moral principles. The European Union supports Ukraine because it serves as a buffer against Russia, not out of humanitarian concern.

For Israel, the path forward is clear. We must prioritize our own security and interests. While we show compassion to vulnerable minorities like the Druze and act to protect them as well, we cannot afford to compromise our safety and security for the sake of international approval. Those who celebrated the massacre of our people cannot be our partners in peace.

The Israeli people increasingly recognize this reality. There is no “two-state solution” with those who seek our destruction. There is only victory or defeat. We stand not just for ourselves but as a moral example—confronting extremism and defending civilization.

Indeed, Israel represents something unique in the Middle East: A non-Arab, non-Muslim nation with true sovereignty. Our survival against overwhelming odds is nothing short of miraculous. While Europe struggles with its own challenges and extremism spreads around the globe, Israel continues to thrive—despite facing hostility on multiple fronts.

As opposed to the years of Israel being labeled the problem of the Middle East, now more than ever it is clear that a strong Israel is the solution to a more secure Middle East.

There is no easy path, but we were never promised an easy road. We are the generation of victory, not just for Israel, but for the values of freedom and civilization. With faith and determination, we will prevail.