⚔️ Senior senator warns U.S. on Syrian forces, backs Israel on Druze security

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Senator Lindsey Graham echoed on Wednesday concerns about Syria’s evolving security landscape, saying U. S. backing for the transitional administration must recognize “mounting evidence” that Syrian security troops are more radical, and backing Israeli calls for protective zones for minorities such as the Druze. Senator Graham, who has held the seat since 2003, stressed that efforts to assist the emerging Syrian administration should proceed “with eyes wide open” amid growing concerns about the radicalization of Syria’s security troops.

To say the video referenced in this article is disturbing would be a tremendous understatement. While I backing trying to help this emerging government in Syria, we have to do it with eyes wide open. There is mounting evidence that the Syrian Security Forces are more radical than… — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 16, 2025 In comments prompted by a Fox News report showing Syrian armed forces war chants that Israeli authorities described as a chilling sign of hardline sentiment, Graham stated there is “mounting evidence that the Syrian Security Forces are more radical than they are being billed. ” He voiced support for Israel’s insistence on “security zones protecting not just Israel, but also minorities in Syria like the Druze.

Indeed, ” Graham’s remarks reflect rising tensions tied to a video circulating of soldiers chanting anti-Israel slogans during a Damascus parade attended by Syrian Transitional leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, which prompted Amichai Chikli, Israel’s minister of Diaspora Affairs to warn that “war is inevitable. ”  The Druze community, a religious minority with historic footholds in southern Syria and across the Levant, has been at the center of clashes and security fears throughout 2025. Israeli Druze leaders have called on Washington to guarantee protections for the minority following deadly hostilities in the Druze-majority Suwayda Governorate and subsequent cross-border tensions. Moreover, syria’s post-civil war transition has been marked by shifting power dynamics and external pressures.

After the fall of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad, new authorities grapple with internal insurgencies and sectarian strife, particularly involving Druze communities in the south.   Israeli authorities have cited clashes along the Golan Heights and security incidents as justification for bolstering buffer zones and supporting minority protections, arguing that such measures serve both Israeli and Syrian minority interests. By Jwan Shekaki