A dramatic plea from the Druze community in the southern Syrian village of Hader has emerged, calling for annexation to Israel as fears of Islamist rebel control grow in the region. A video circulating on social media, though unverified, appears to show a member of the Druze community addressing a large crowd, urging them to choose what he terms the "lesser evil" for their future.

The man, speaking in Arabic in the video, asserts that annexation to the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights would be preferable to facing the threats posed by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, the largest of Syria’s rebel groups.

“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,” the man said, referencing fears of violence and subjugation under the rebels.

A Plea for Freedom and Dignity

The man appearing in the video passionately detailed the Druze community's grievances and fears following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. He lamented the potential loss of women, daughters, and homes to the rebels, emphasizing the need to preserve the community's dignity.

“We asked to be annexed to the Golan to preserve our dignity,” he declared, claiming to represent Druze populations across the Quneitra Governorate.

The plea also criticized the long-standing "injustice and oppression" experienced under the Assad regime, which they fear will now be replaced by an even greater threat from Islamist factions.

“How many of us have died?” the man asked rhetorically. “We’ve given enough. We’re not willing to offer anything more.”

Hader and nearby villages lie within a buffer zone between Israel and Syria, which saw the entry of Israeli army following Assad's fall. While a small number of Druze reside in the Syrian Golan, the majority have historically lived further afield.

According to the last pre-war census in 2010, 48% of Syria’s Druze population resided in the Suwayda Governorate, some 90 kilometers from the Israeli border, with 35% living in Damascus and around 25,000 in Idlib Governorate. However, years of civil war have reshaped these demographics, forcing many Druze to flee for safer areas.