"The Atlantic Council": "Israel" misjudges southern Syria, and its plan for division may backfire.

The Atlantic Council warned that "the Israeli occupation state is making political and security miscalculations in southern Syria by seeking to dismantle the country and push the Druze component towards secession, cautioning that this approach could lead to long-term chaos and strengthen Iran's influence and jihadist groups." A report published by the Atlantic Council stated that "Israel has adopted a hostile discourse towards the new Syrian government, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the Syrian government as an Islamic government supported by Turkey, called for disarmament in southern Syria, and prevented government forces from deploying south of Damascus under the pretext of protecting the Druze sect." The report argues that "Israel selectively deals with some Druze factions in Suwayda and ignores the Sunni majority in Daraa and Quneitra, with its strategy being to keep Syria a weak, divided state along ethnic and sectarian lines, setting a precedent that may lead other components to demand autonomous regions." Despite the alignment of this scenario with Israel's historically adopted "alliance with minorities" doctrine, the Atlantic Council report warns that "the division of Syria could lead to a repetition of the Iraq and Lebanon models, with increased external interventions and internal divisions." This weakness in Damascus will provide Iran with the opportunity to expand its influence and jihadist organizations to reorganize, turning southern Syria into a chaotic arena instead of a buffer zone. It is worth noting that the Syrian government seeks to integrate these factions into the army, while its leaders prefer to maintain relative independence until elections are organized in the country and a new constitution is adopted.