After the fall of the Assad regime and growing internal uncertainty, many Druze leaders are openly seeking to align with Israel. According to a video circulating on the internet, Druze leaders from Hadar, Syria, at what apparently is a local community meeting, have expressed a desire to join Israel.

‘What is our fate, brothers?’, asks one of the speakers in the recording, and the audience responds to the rhetorical question: ‘Israel!’

The speaker continues, arguing he speaks on behalf of several villages in the region: ‘We are with those who preserve our dignity … I don’t mind if anyone is taking pictures or recording—we ask to be annexed to the Golan … The fate of Hader is the fate of the surrounding villages, we want to ask to join our kin in the Golan, to be free from injustice and oppression,’ to which those present at the convention reply shouting: ‘We agree, we agree!’, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The call of the Druze leader came after Israeli forces took control of the buffer zone that separated Israel and Syria, including Syria’s highest point, Mount Hermon, to prevent any hostile forces to set up on its border. However, Israel has stressed that its deployment to the buffer zone was only a defensive and temporary measure. Thus, despite the Syrian Druze community appearing to see Israel as a beacon of stability and opportunity, it is unlikely that these Druze towns will be annexed to Israel.

An unnamed activist of the Syrian opposition also said that this request is not based on an overall consensus, although there have been calls for it in several places. In fact, other groups in southern Syria expressed their protest and concerns when they learned of the matter, according to Hungarian news website Neokohn.

Syrian Druze leaders’ open call for Israeli annexation was evoked by security concerns as Islamist rebel groups approach their region. The Druze, a group historically loyal to the Assad regime in Syria, are facing growing threats due to the collapse of the central government and the deteriorating security situation. The Druze religious leadership in Israel is also very concerned about the fate of the Druze across the border, because jihadists in many Druze communities, mainly in Damascus and northern Syria, have already started demanding that the Druze hand over their weapons.

Who Are the Druze?

The Druze are an ethnoreligious group whose monotheistic faith combines aspects of Islam, Christianity, and other philosophical traditions. Although their beliefs originated within Isma’ilism, the Druze do not consider themselves Muslim. Arabic serves as their primary language and is deeply tied to their cultural identity. Their religious practices are largely kept secret, and conversion to the Druze faith is not allowed.

They number around one million globally, with significant populations in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. Despite their religious distinctiveness, Druze communities have historically aligned with their host nations, adhering to a principle of loyalty to the state in which they reside.

The Druze Community in Israel

In Israel the Druze community has integrated deeply into society, with many considering themselves proud Israeli citizens. Approximately 150,000 Druze live in Israel today, predominantly in the northern Galilee and Carmel regions, and in Druze villages within the Golan Heights, such as Majdal Shams.

The Golan Heights, annexed by Israel in 1981 after capturing it from Syria during the Six-Day War in 1967, remains a contentious region. Many Druze in the Golan Heights have retained Syrian citizenship while holding Israeli residency permits. Historically, they have hesitated to fully embrace Israeli citizenship, partly out of fear of retribution against family members in Syria and partly out of cultural loyalty to Syria.

However, as the civil war in Syria has devastated the nation, the Druze in the Golan Heights have reevaluated their position. Reports suggest that increasing numbers are applying for Israeli citizenship, driven by Israel’s economic opportunities, political stability, and robust healthcare and education systems.

One of the hallmarks of Druze integration into Israeli society is their service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Unlike most Arab citizens of Israel, Druze men are subject to mandatory conscription, a result of an agreement forged between the Druze leadership and the Israeli government in 1956. This has fostered a strong relationship between the Druze community and the Israeli state. Today, over 80 per cent of Israel’s Druze men enlist, many in combat units.

The Impact of 7 October

The events following the 7 October Hamas terror attacks have highlighted the Druze community’s role in Israel’s ongoing struggles. Among the hostages taken by Hamas during the attack was a Druze woman, who was later freed in November 2023 as part of a temporary ceasefire agreement. The Druze community has also lost several members while serving in the IDF, such as Major Jamal Abbas, a 23-year-old paratrooper who was killed in action in Gaza in November 2023.

Simultaneously, the conflict with Hezbollah along Israel’s northern border has also negatively impacted the Druze community, particularly in the Golan Heights. As Hungarian Conservative also reported, on 27 July 2024 a rocket struck a football field in Majdal Shams, a Druze town in the Golan Heights, resulting in the deaths of 12 children and injuring at least 42 others. The events in Majdal Shams marked a significant turning point in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. In response to the attack, Israel launched airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon and killed one of the high-ranking commanders of the militia. The conflict then widely escalated, leading to the current conditions.

These events underscore the shared vulnerability and fate of the Druze with the broader Israeli society in the face of terrorism, while developments in Syria also reflect the broader trend of growing ties between the Druze and Israel.