Syrian Village Requests Annexation by Israel, Reports Say
The village of Hader is seeking to break free from jihadist control following the departure of Bashar Assad from power. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
A member of the Druze community in the southern Syrian village of Hader has reportedly stated that it would be the “lesser evil” to request incorporation into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, amid concerns about impending jihadist rule following the recent political upheaval in Syria.
According to the Times of Israel, this request comes after an unverified video surfaced, featuring a Druze representative voicing worries about the future of his community. Last week, Bashar Assad's government was overthrown after opposition forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham launched a surprise offensive, capturing major cities, including the capital, Damascus. In the aftermath, Assad has resigned and reportedly sought asylum in Russia.
In a video shared on X, a Hader resident claimed to represent the Druze people, an esoteric ethnoreligious group, and urged a gathering crowd to contemplate their future. Hader is situated in the buffer zone between Israel and Syria, an area that IDF troops entered last week.
“If we have to choose, we will choose the lesser evil,” he stated. “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 remarked, likely referring to HTS, which was previously known as the Al Nusra front, tied to Al Qaeda in Syria.
The man expressed further concerns, stating, “That evil might take our women, might take our daughters, they might take our houses,” while calling for an end to the “injustice and oppression” that the Syrian Druze have faced in the past and may face again under Islamist rebel groups.
“We have asked to be annexed to the Golan to preserve our dignity,” he asserted, speaking for the Druze community in the surrounding 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].”
Before the civil war, approximately 48% of Syria’s Druze population resided in the Suwayda Governorate, roughly 90 kilometers from the Israeli border, according to a 2010 census cited by the Times of Israel. However, many are believed to have fled to safer areas within the country since the outbreak of the war.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
According to the Times of Israel, this request comes after an unverified video surfaced, featuring a Druze representative voicing worries about the future of his community. Last week, Bashar Assad's government was overthrown after opposition forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham launched a surprise offensive, capturing major cities, including the capital, Damascus. In the aftermath, Assad has resigned and reportedly sought asylum in Russia.
In a video shared on X, a Hader resident claimed to represent the Druze people, an esoteric ethnoreligious group, and urged a gathering crowd to contemplate their future. Hader is situated in the buffer zone between Israel and Syria, an area that IDF troops entered last week.
“If we have to choose, we will choose the lesser evil,” he stated. “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 remarked, likely referring to HTS, which was previously known as the Al Nusra front, tied to Al Qaeda in Syria.
The man expressed further concerns, stating, “That evil might take our women, might take our daughters, they might take our houses,” while calling for an end to the “injustice and oppression” that the Syrian Druze have faced in the past and may face again under Islamist rebel groups.
“We have asked to be annexed to the Golan to preserve our dignity,” he asserted, speaking for the Druze community in the surrounding 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].”
Before the civil war, approximately 48% of Syria’s Druze population resided in the Suwayda Governorate, roughly 90 kilometers from the Israeli border, according to a 2010 census cited by the Times of Israel. However, many are believed to have fled to safer areas within the country since the outbreak of the war.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
