Historical supporters of the Jewish state, the Druze form a tight-knit community on the front lines of Israel’s war against Hamas. But this Arab minority, bound to Israel by a “blood pact,” feels marginalized and discriminated against by the controversial 2018 nation-state law that established Israel as a Jewish state. Faced with pressure from its representatives, the government coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu seems ready to make concessions, France 24 reports, citing Rador Radio Romania.

Is the loyalty of friends to the Jewish state valued at a true price? This old debate in Israel is gaining new momentum in the context of the war with Hamas, in which this Arab community from the branch of Shia Islam is actively involved. The only non-Jews eligible for military service, the Druze serve en masse in the Israeli army, but feel they are not sufficiently recognized.

“It is time for the government to learn about the Druze community, its soldiers and those who died in battle,” Druze cleric Sheikh Movafak Tarif wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in early November. “It is time for the government and the Knesset to amend the nation-state law and correct the historical distortions against the Druze community, while enshrining the community and its rights in legislation.”

The 2018 “National State of the Jewish People” law, which defines Israel as a Jewish state with Hebrew as its only official language, was seen as a betrayal by this Arabic-speaking religious community linked to Israel by a “blood pact”.

The expression refers to the steadfast alliance between the Druze and Israel, where in exchange for blood shed in battle, the Israeli authorities granted them protection and a form of autonomy ratified by the Knesset in 1963, particularly in matters of education and administrative justice.

“In 2018, they were the first to go to the demonstration [împotriva acestei legi] because they considered it a violation of the treaty with Israel. Since the birth of the Jewish state in 1948, the Druze consider themselves allies of Israel, because they are an ethno-religious minority whose political tradition is in alliance with the strongest,” explains Denys Charbit, professor of political science at the Open University of Israel. .

Practicing an unorthodox and syncretic Islam, the Druze reject Sharia, Islamic law, and its ritual obligations such as fasting during Ramadan. Considered heretics by both Sunnis and Shiites, they were regularly persecuted throughout their history, reinforcing a form of communal isolation and cult of secrecy.

Social elevator

At least six Druze soldiers are among the 390 Israeli soldiers who have died in the fighting since the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7. For these historical allies of the Zionist movement, participation in hostilities is central to their identity.

In 1948, unit 300, the first Druze unit, entered the ranks of the Israeli army. Unlike Israeli Arabs, Druze men have been required to do military service since 1956. For the Israeli authorities, this invisible community, which is also present in Lebanon and Syria, represents a model of integration.

“We consider ourselves dedicated to serving in the Israel Defense Forces. As Israelis, we do this with pride,” says Anan Heir, a lawyer and member of the Druze Veterans Association. “The employment rate of 18-year-olds among Druze is 87%, compared to 67% among Jews. No one does more for Israel than we do,” he adds, recalling that 452 Druze soldiers have lost their lives defending Israel since its creation.

For Israeli friends, a military career is a powerful means of social advancement.

“Friends have reservations about modernity, which makes them a disadvantage in a dynamic and liberal society: the concept of equality between men and women is not at all noticeable among them. They live in conditions of economic autarky and also have very few people with higher education compared to the rest of the Arab population of Israel. That’s why they can generally apply for lower positions”, – analyzes Denys Charbit.

Therefore, a large number of them decide to pursue a military career, and many members of the community have reached high positions in the chain of command. To date, the highest-ranking officer to die in the ground invasion of Gaza is Lt. Col. Salman Habaka, originally from the village of Druze in the Galilee.

“The social upliftment provided by the Army works particularly well for the community of friends. The fact that Arabic is their native language allows them to occupy strategic and capital positions, especially during law enforcement operations in the occupied territories, where they do not need the services of a translator and can discuss and negotiate directly,” Denys Charbit emphasizes.

Friends in a heap

If the “blood pact” that binds Israel to the Druze is not in doubt, the community’s losses during the October 7 attack and its aftermath, as well as its participation in the war in Gaza, have brought the claims of this religious minority to the fore. .

For several decades, the Druze have considered themselves marginalized from a socio-economic point of view, accusing the state of a lack of investment in the 16 villages in northern Israel where they live exclusively.

Their main complaint concerns housing and, in particular, what the community considers the use of variable geometry land use planning. Members of this Arab minority, which has lived in this mountainous region of the Middle East for thousands of years, mostly choose to find a home in the heart of the cradle of their culture and identity.

However, as urban plans do not develop for several decades, space begins to run out, forcing friends to build illegal buildings. “We, Druze, build only in our villages. The problem is that instead of expanding the area where we are allowed to build, like in Jewish settlements or in big cities, the authorities do not offer us another solution,” complains Anan Heir.

According to estimates, about two-thirds of Druze houses in Israel have been built without permits in recent decades, at risk of demolition, but mostly fines must be paid for violators. The so-called “Kaminitsa” law adopted in 2017 significantly strengthened financial sanctions.

“They are destroying our wallets and bank account,” Ashraf Halabi, a basketball coach who must pay a fine of around 600,000 shekels (about 148,000 euros) for illegally building his house and swimming pool on the outskirts of the village of Beit, told AFP. January

“Friends and especially younger people suffer from this situation. We are asking for ten years to be able to expand our municipalities, but nothing is happening,” complains Anan Khair.

This frustration was particularly evident last summer, when a series of large rallies took place in the Golan Heights to protest a wind farm project on Druze-owned land.

“These are only promises”

Since 2018 and the passing of the nation-state law, which cements Israel’s Jewish identity, the traditionally quiet community of Druze has become increasingly vocal. “With this law, you are either a Jew or you are not. Second-class citizens are being created,” says lawyer Anan Kheir.

However, Israel’s ruling coalition government appears ready to make the move. Legislator Ofir Katz and Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, both members of the right-wing Likud party, on November 19 announced a seminal draft of a law that has quasi-constitutional significance in Israel to establish the status of the Druze community.

“It’s quite rare that Likud instantly responds to such demands,” says Denys Charbit. However, the community of friends does not want a special law, but rather that the principle of equality between citizens be integrated into the well-known law of the nation-state of the Jewish people.

When asked by reporters about the possibility of amending the controversial 2018 law, Benjamin Netanyahu was careful not to engage in it. “Friends are a precious community. They fight, they fall in battle, Israel will give them what they deserve,” the Israeli prime minister simply commented.

Meanwhile, several Likud officials talked about the idea of ​​freezing fines for illegal constructions erected by the Druze.

“We feel that the government wants to be useful, and it’s now, not after the war with Hamas,” Anan Hair wants to believe. “But with these politicians everything is never black or white. And at the moment, these are only promises.”

France 24 (acquisition of Rador Radio Romania)