Six Druze villages in southern Syria have formally requested annexation into Israel as they face an existential crisis brought on by the collapse of the Assad regime and the advance of jihadist Syrian rebels.
During a late-night council meeting in the Jabal al-Sheikh region, Druze dignitaries expressed their determination to prevent extremist rebels from infiltrating their territory, the Jewish Press reported.
The Druze are an ethnoreligious group constituting approximately 3-4% of Syria’s population, predominantly inhabiting the southwestern region known as Jabal al-Druze (Mountain of the Druze).
The Druze faith emerged in the 11th century as an offshoot of Isma’ili Shi’ism, incorporating elements from various religious and philosophical traditions, including Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Greek philosophy. They believe in five divine messengers, in Abrahamic prophets including Jesus and Muhammad, and minor prophets including Ali Ibn Abi Talib, Plato, and Socrates.
This syncretic belief system emphasizes monotheism and the unity of God. The Druze community is known for its secrecy regarding religious practices and does not accept converts; one must be born into the faith to be considered Druze.
In a recent assembly in Hader, a Druze village in Syria’s Jabal al-Sheikh region, community leaders expressed their intent to resist the encroachment of jihadist forces and proposed annexation to the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. Out of the approximately 55,000 Israelis living in the Golan Heights, roughly 24,000 are Druze, per the Jewish Press.
Times of Israel reported:
Although the speech is in Arabic, a version of the video was posted on X with English captions.
“If we have to choose, we will choose the lesser evil,” he says. “And even if it’s considered evil to ask to be annexed to the [Israeli] Golan, it’s a much lesser evil than the evil coming our way.”
He appears to be referring to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the largest of Syria’s rebel groups, which has its roots in al-Qaeda although it has sought to moderate itself in recent years.
“That evil might take our women, might take our daughters, they might take our houses,” he says, according to the captions.
“Bashar al-Assad left,” he continues. “What do we have left? Nothing.”
“We asked to be annexed to the Golan to preserve our dignity,” he says, adding that he speaks for the Druze community across the surrounding area of the Quneitra Governorate.
“We ask in the name of all the surrounding area to join our people in the Golan, and to live with freedom and dignity like our people are living [in Israel].
The Druze of Mt. Hermon have officially requested to be annexed to Israel. pic.twitter.com/X6qTnZXhzP
— Mira ⛥ (@MiraMedusa) December 13, 2024
Hananya Naftali, a digital aide to Netanyahu, also shared a powerful statement from a Druze leader in al-Suwayda, Syria: “We refuse to live under rebel rule. We want Israeli rule and to be part of Israel.”
The Druze leader of al-Suwayda in Syria just made a powerful statement: “We refuse to live under rebel rule. We want Israeli rule and to be part of Israel.”
This city of 120,000, mostly Druze with a large Greek Orthodox community pic.twitter.com/0o85KXshEk
— Hananya Naftali (@HananyaNaftali) December 13, 2024
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