In southern Syria, the Druze community—split between pro- and anti-Damascus factions—has long navigated alliances amid local Sunni Arabs and shifting regime forces, all entangled in the remnants of Iran's "Axis of Resistance." Yet, Israel's evolving policies over the past few months, from its support for religious and ethnic minorities to tentative outreach toward Damascus's new government, have complicated efforts to dismantle Iranian influence via Hezbollah and lingering Assad loyalists. With the drug trade persisting as a survival lifeline amid economic woes, pushing for decentralization, Israel's initial strategies inadvertently bolstered former Assad regime elements with ties to Hezbollah. How has this intricate web of local actors and illicit economies shaped Syria's post-Assad landscape? What do Israel's contradictory approaches mean for curbing Iran's proxies, stabilizing the border, and resolving the region's unresolved tensions?Dr. Joel D. Parker is a researcher at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle East and North African Studies at Tel Aviv University. His work focuses on contemporary Syria, the Levant, radical politics, jihadi ideology and music, and youth movements in the 20th century. He is regularly cited across a number of print and broadcast publications and he is a regular commentator on Israeli, Syrian, Arab, and Levantine politics. He holds an M.A. in Middle East History from Tel Aviv University.

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