The fall of the Assad Regime and Syrian flags spotted in Majdal Shams: a symbol of hope and change

It’s the end of November 2024 and, without anyone suspecting what was about to happen, the history of the Middle East is about to change forever.

November 27th, the Syrian rebel groups opposed to the Assad leadership launch their first attack on the regime.November 30th, the rebels reach Aleppo and take complete control, subsequently taking control of Hama on December 5th, Daraa – the place where the 2011 uprisings began – on December 6th, and Homs on December 7th.On December 8th, what the entire region had been waiting for 13 years happens: the rebels arrive in Damascus, and the Assad regime falls miserably after over 50 years of rule.

But who are the rebels, and is this really how citizens would have hoped the regime would fall?

Celebrations in Majdal Shams (Photo credits: Yoav Zitun)

The Syrian rebel groups

The Syrian Civil War, which began in 2011, has been marked by a complex array of rebel groups fighting against the regime of Bashar al-Assad. These rebel forces are not a unified group but rather a loose coalition of various factions, each with their own goals, ideologies, and affiliations. The main groups can be broadly categorized into several categories:

1. Islamist rebels: including al-Nusra, affiliated with al-Qaeda, and ISIS, and driven by a desire to establish an Islamic state in Syria. They include both local Syrian fighters and foreign jihadists.

2. Free Syrian Army (FSA): initially composed of defectors from the Syrian military with the goal of overthrowing Assad's regime. Over time, it became fragmented, with different factions aligning with various foreign powers.

3. Kurdish Forces: the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which include Kurdish fighters like the People’s Defense Units (YPG), have been one of the most organized and effective forces fighting in Syria. Their primary aim is to establish autonomy for Syria’s Kurdish population, and they have fought against both the Assad regime and Turkish-backed forces.

4. Other secular and moderate groups: smaller, secular groups that have fought for democratic reforms in Syria but have been sidelined in the conflict due to the overwhelming influence of Islamist and foreign-backed factions.

So, is this the way citizens would have hoped the regime would fall? For many citizens belonging to religious minorities, like the Druze, the idea that the state would fall under the control of Islamic forces is a significant threat. Considered traitors of Islam, they would indeed immediately be targeted by Islamic forces with the intent to eliminate them from the country.

What does the fall of the Assad regime in Syria imply for Israel?

Located on the other side of Israel’s northeastern border, just a few kilometers away from populated centers, the fall of the Assad regime brings both risks and opportunities for Israel. While it could lead to increased instability and threats along Israel’s northern border, it also offers the potential for a reconfiguration of the regional order:

1. One of the primary concerns is border stability. Syria has long been an adversary of Israel, but the Assad regime provided a certain degree of predictability on Israel’s northern border. The fall of the Assad regime creates uncertainty and could lead to further instability along the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in 1967. There is also the possibility that Iran, Hezbollah, and other Iran-backed groups may attempt to fill the vacuum left by Assad’s collapse, further increasing the presence of hostile forces near Israel’s border.

2. Iran has indeed been a key ally of the Assad regime, providing military and logistical support throughout the civil war. The fall of Assad’s government could weaken Iran’s influence in Syria, but it also opens the door for Iranian-backed forces to operate more freely in the country. In particular, the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, which is heavily supported by Iran, has established a significant presence in Syria and could become even more entrenched in the region, increasing the likelihood of direct confrontations with Israel.

3. A key element to consider following the fall of the regime is the relationship with the Syrian Druze community. With a significant percentage of the Druze population living within the territory – many of whom still have family in Syria – Israel will need to carefully consider its steps in managing relations with members of the Syrian Druze community, some of whom have already explicitly requested to be annexed to Israel.

4. The fall of the Assad regime might also trigger a shift in the broader Middle Eastern geopolitical landscape, affecting Israel’s relations with other regional players and Western powers long involved in the conflict.

Majdal Shams: a Syrian Druze village in Israel caught between two worlds

Majdal Shams is one of the villages with the most intricate and interesting history in the country. In 1967, during the Six-Day War, Israel took control of the Golan Heights, then officially annexing it in 1981, and Majdal Shams turbulently became part of Israeli territory. Despite living in Israel and being loyal to the country, the Druze of Majdal Shams have maintained deep personal ties to Syria, with hundreds of their family members still living on the other side of the border and under the tough conditions imposed by the Assad regime.

Now that the regime has fallen, dozens of relatives of Majdal Shams citizens still living in Syria are asking the State of Israel to incorporate them into Israel due to growing fears about the rise of Islamist rebels in Syria, who pose a significant threat to the Druze community. The Druze, who are seen as "traitors" by many radical Islamist groups for their religious differences, fear that these rebels will seek to eliminate them, just as they have targeted other non-Muslim and minority communities.

Spotted: Syrian flags hanging in Majdal Shams

A few days after the fall of the regime, we went to Majdal Shams to visit our friends in the Druze community to hear firsthand what their feelings, hopes, and fears were after the recent historical events. As soon as we entered the city, our eyes immediately caught a new element hanging from most of the houses and monuments: the Syrian flag with three stars, a symbol of hope for many residents who hope that the end of the Assad regime may lead to a brighter future for Syria.

What’s special about this flag?

Under Assad, Syria's flag consisted of horizontal red, white, and black stripes, with two green stars on the central white stripe. The updated version replaces the red stripe with green and adds three red stars along the white stripe, symbolizing the Syrian rebels. The original design, used since the 1980s, featured two stars to represent the union between Syria and Egypt during the United Arab Republic. However, on December 8, 2024, the flag was modified to include three stars, signifying Syria’s renewed sovereignty and the hope for a fresh start following the fall of Assad’s regime.

The future of Majdal Shams and the Druze villages on the Golan Heights

As the situation in Syria continues to evolve, the Druze of Majdal Shams and all the other Druze villages in Israel on the Golan remain caught between their heritage and their hope for a secure future in a region where allegiances are shifting rapidly. Whether they will find peace under Israeli annexation or a new Syria remains to be seen, but the flags of Syria with three stars serve as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for identity, survival, and belonging in a rapidly changing world.