Freed hostage Emily Damari met with Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif, the leader of the Druze in Israel, in Sheba Medical Center on Wednesday, where the two talked about the plight of the Druze in Syria.
In an Instagram post, Damari noted the similarity between the pain felt by Israelis and Druze in their respective situations, Israelis with the war in Gaza and Druze with the violence erupting in Sweida.
British-Israeli teenager Damari is one of the most recognizable of the Israelis taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023. She was held captive for 470 days until being released on January 9, 2025, in a hostage deal. She has since been seen by many as a symbol of Israeli resilience, defiance, and survival.
"[Tarif] told me that currently in Syria, there are hundreds of hostages, and their situation is terrible," Damari wrote, stressing the dangers faced by women and young girls.
"My heart goes out to all of you," she said, thanking the Druze community for everything they do for Israel.
"It's empowering to know that we're not alone in this journey," she said.
The crisis of the Druze in Syria
The city of Sweida in southern Syria, in the province of the same name, has been the focus of several armed clashes between Druze, who make up a majority of the province, and Bedouin groups.
These clashes come in the aftermath of Hay'at Tahrir al-Shams's successful ousting of the Assad regime and forming the new dominant political order in the war-torn country.
Syrian troops were deployed to restore order, with the IDF striking Syrian positions to stop them from getting too close to the border.
The violence has sparked outcry among the Druze in Israel, with many having tried to take up arms and enter Syria to fight. Other Druze in Sweida have called to be annexed by Israel.