‘A barbaric murderer’: Minister calls to kill Syrian President al-Sharaa after attacks on Druze

Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli directly calls for Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to “be eliminated without delay,” in both English and Hebrew posts on his X account.

Following Israel’s announcement this morning that it will strike Syrian regime targets in response to reported attacks against the Druze population by Sharaa’s forces, Chikli writes: “Anyone who thinks Ahmad al-Sharaa is a legitimate leader is gravely mistaken — he is a terrorist, a barbaric murderer who should be eliminated without delay.”

Sharing footage circulating online that appears to show Syrian army forces taunting and assaulting members of the Druze community by forcibly shaving their facial hair, Chikli adds in Hebrew: “If it looks like Hamas, talks like Hamas, and acts like Hamas — It’s Hamas!” — comparing the alleged conduct of Syrian troops to that of the Gaza-based terror group.

“We must not stand idly by in the face of the Islamist-Nazi terror regime of Al-Qaeda in a suit and tie,” the minister continues. “We saw the horrific massacre of the Alawites, met with deafening silence from European leaders, and now we are witnessing the slaughter and humiliation of the Druze.”

“The terror regime in Syria must be fought,” he says.

We must not stand idly by in the face of the Islamist-Nazi terror regime of Al-Qaeda in a suit and tie.

Anyone who thinks Ahmad al-Shara is a legitimate leader is gravely mistaken — he is a terrorist, a barbaric murderer who should be eliminated without delay.

We saw the… pic.twitter.com/lSnnE7xge6

— עמיחי שיקלי – Amichai Chikli (@AmichaiChikli) July 15, 2025

Since Sharaa took power in Syria late last year, Israeli officials — including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar — initially took a harsh stance against the new regime, citing Sharaa’s past ties to Al-Qaeda and clashes between government forces with Druze, Alawite, and other minority groups.

While rhetoric against the new regime died down following US President Donald Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Syria in May, and efforts are reportedly underway between Israel and Syria to reach a security or even peace agreement, fighting in recent days between Syrian government forces and Druze militias prompted Israel to carry out intensified strikes in Syria, which it says intend to protect the Druze and prevent any threat to Israel.