Israeli official: Sweida entering secession phase

In remarks delivered by Anan Wahbi, the advisor at Israel’s National Security Council, he stated that Damascus has never truly been “a unified state representing a people with shared supreme interests,” but rather “a dictatorship governed by a central and military authority.”

Wahbi added that Sweida has “already begun its secessionist phase in the wake of recent events in southern Syria,” while stressing that “secession requires international recognition and legitimacy, along with the pursuit of an independence process.” He cited Lebanon as an example, noting that its independence unfolded gradually over three years.

He further explained that the recent military strikes in southern Syria demonstrated to local leaders that “the Syrian state will not return to what it once was, as its system is built on principles of excommunication, destruction, and burning.” According to Wahbi, this realization has driven local groups to safeguard their areas and to shape a distinct identity within their geographical space.

“These groups have come to recognize the need, at the very least, to stand independently within their territories in order to protect themselves and secure a defined geographical space in which they can preserve their identity,” he said.

The Israeli official dismissed the possibility that the Damascus government could “forge a unified people in the coming years,” emphasizing that recent experiences have underscored “the limited capacity of this government to build an inclusive state for its citizens.”

a.k

ANHA