Amid Israeli Strikes, Helsinki Commission Fears for Religious Minorities in Syria

WASHINGTON—Commissioners and former staff with a key human rights panel are voicing concern over religious freedom in the new Syrian regime, now facing attack from Israel in the name of a religious minority. Israel, which backed the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, launched heavy airstrikes on July 16 that hit Syria’s capital, Damascus, citing persecution of the Druze. The move comes after conflict between Sunni tribes and the Druze in a southern province, Sweida. Druze leaders and the Syrian government announced a cease-fire amid the strikes, which have continued. Under new Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, the Druze and other religious minorities have faced persecution or reprisals. A recent Reuters investigation found that 1,500 Alawites were slaughtered during an insurgency of Assad loyalists. In June, at least 30 people were killed by a suicide bombing at a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus....