The former leader of the "Progressive Socialist Party," Walid Jumblatt, accused Israel of trying to appeal to the Druze in Syria as part of a broader plan to fragment the Middle East into sectarian states. In an interview with "France Presse," Jumblatt noted that Israel "continues its old-new project" aiming to dismantle the region into sectarian and denominational entities, asserting that these plans will lead to "spreading chaos" in the region.
Jumblatt explained that these Israeli attempts include dismantling Gaza and uprooting its residents, with plans to later expand into the West Bank, saying, "They will try, and perhaps succeed, in uprooting Gaza, uprooting people and stones in Gaza, then it's the West Bank's turn. They will attempt to create instability in Syria, not only through the Druze but also through others." He described these movements as a "dangerous game."
Referring to the region's history, Jumblatt mentioned that "during the French mandate about a hundred years ago, Syria was divided into four canton projects: an Alawite state, a Druze state, a state of Aleppo, and a state of Damascus," clarifying that the Druze were at the forefront of forces that prevented Syria's division through their participation in the Sultan Pasha al-Atrash revolution, which thwarted this project.
Jumblatt expressed hope that the "project to divide war-torn Syria into spheres of influence" can be avoided but stressed that this requires "significant international and Arab efforts." He also pointed out the necessity of supporting the interim Syrian president, Ahmed Shara, to achieve this goal.
In a different context, when asked about the arrest of the person accused of killing his father, Ibrahim Hweija, head of Syrian Air Force Intelligence during the era of the late President Hafez al-Assad, Jumblatt stated he "does not intend to request his extradition," noting that this person is "one of the major criminals against my father, and possibly other Lebanese figures," adding that the Syrian authorities are "prosecuting him," clarifying that he is "responsible for crimes against the Syrian people like others."
Regarding the pressures faced by the Lebanese authorities, Jumblatt confirmed that Lebanon has been facing "significant pressures since the end of the bloody war between Hezbollah and Israel." He explained that "the United States is exerting pressure on Lebanon to push it towards normalizing its relations with Israel," asserting that he rejects this, just like President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. He noted that "Washington will not provide assistance to the Lebanese army until Hezbollah disarms."