Israel, the Syrian Druze, and the Ghosts of the “Responsibility to Protect”

Israel conducted airstrikes in Syria, framing them as a humanitarian intervention to protect the Druze minority under the "Responsibility to Protect" doctrine. This action followed sectarian violence in southern Syria after the fall of the Assad regime. The intervention is analyzed as a cynical move by the Netanyahu government to advance strategic goals, such as asserting dominance over a fractured Syria, rather than a purely humanitarian effort. This approach echoes historical instances where great powers used minority protection as a pretext for geopolitical maneuvering. Instead of selective military action, the piece advocates for international support for Syria's new government to build an inclusive and sovereign state as the best way to protect all its citizens.