The Druze community in Suwayda, Syria, is facing a humanitarian emergency marked by violence, displacement, and what many fear is an unfolding campaign of ethnic cleansing. Yet the crisis remains largely unacknowledged by the international community.

In this timely conversation, Dr. Sawsan Kheir, a University of Haifa scholar of religious and minority studies, will reflect on both the personal and collective impact of these events. She will explore Israel’s unique role in supporting the Druze, and what this moment reveals about the responsibilities of civil society in protecting vulnerable communities.

Dr. Kheir will also share insights from her research on how modernization is reshaping identity among Druze and Muslim university students in Israel. Her work sheds light on the internal tensions young people face as they navigate tradition and modernity—and on the opportunities this transformation presents for building a more inclusive Israeli society.