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الدروز الإسرائيليون דְּרוּזִים יִשְׂרְאֵלִים | |
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| Total population | |
| c. 143,000 (2019)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Israel | 119,400 |
| Golan Heights | 23,602 |
| Languages | |
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| Religion | |
| Druze faith | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| OtherIsraeli andPalestinian Arabs, otherDruze, otherSyrians | |
| Part ofa series on the Druze |
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Texts
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Holy places |
Holy days |
History |
Druze communities |
Israeli Druze orDruze Israelis (Arabic:الدروز الإسرائيليون;Hebrew:דְּרוּזִים יִשְׂרְאֵלִים) are an ethnoreligious minority among theArab citizens of Israel.[2]Arabic is their primary language andArab culture is an integral part of their identity.[3][4] In 2019, there were 143,000Druze people living within Israel and theIsraeli-occupied Golan Heights; they comprise 1.6% of the total population of Israel.[1] The majority of Israeli Druze are concentrated innorthern Israel,[5] especially inGalilee,Carmel and the Golan areas.[6]
Before theIsraeli Declaration of Independence in 1948, Druze people were not recognized as a religious community, and were discriminated against by the local judicial system of the time.[7] In 1957, the Israeli government designated Druze Israelis as a distinct religious community at the request of Druze leaders.[8][9] Alongside theJewish majority and theCircassian minority, the Druze minority is required by law to serve in theIsrael Defense Forces. Members of the community have also attained top positions inIsraeli politics and public service. As is the case for the Circassian community, only men from the community are drafted, while women are exempted, in contrast withJewish women, for whommilitary service is mandatory.[10]
Druzism, the Druze ethnic religion, developed out ofIsma'ilism, a branch ofShia Islam, but the Druze do not consider themselves Muslims.[11][12][13][14] Druze Israelis are nativeArabic-speakers; a 2017 poll conducted by thePew Research Center reported that the majority of Israel's Druze also ethnically self-identify asArabs.[15] Israel has the world's third-largest Druze population, afterSyria andLebanon;[16][17] survey data suggests that Israeli Druze prioritize their identity first as Druze (religiously), second as Arabs (culturally and ethnically), and third as Israelis (citizenship).[4]
The Druze religion branched off from the religion of Islam, and is now considered its own religion separate from Islam. The religion originated in the 10th and 11th centuries in Egypt, with aspects of Hindu and Greek philosophy incorporated into the tenets of Islam. Conversions are not permitted in the Druze religion, because they believe that the first generation after the establishment of the Druze religion had an opportunity then to join the religion, and everyone alive today is reincarnated from that generation. Much like the Abrahamic faiths, the Druze religion is monotheistic, and recognizes many prophets, includingJesus,[18][19]John the Baptist,[18][19] Mohammed,Khidr, and Moses. The most respected prophet in their religion isJethro, Moses' father-in-law.[20]
TheEpistles of Wisdom is the foundational text of the Druze faith.[21] The Druze faith incorporates elements of Islam'sIsmailism,[22]Gnosticism,Neoplatonism,[23][24]Pythagoreanism,[25][26]Christianity,[23][24]Hinduism[25][26] and other philosophies and beliefs, creating a distinct and secretive theology known to interpret esoterically religious scriptures, and to highlight the role of the mind and truthfulness.[26]
Within the Druze community, there are two different sub-groups. There is the al-Juhhal, or the Ignorant, and al-Uqqal, the Knowledgeable. The al-Juhhal group does not have permission to view the holy texts, and they do not attend religious meetings. About 80% of the Druze people fall into the category of the Ignorant. The al-Uqqal must follow ascetic rulings including following a dress code. The most powerful 5% of the Knowledgeable group are where the spiritual leaders of the religion come from. As for important rules that the Druze must follow, they are not allowed to drink alcohol, eat pork, or smoke tobacco, similar to the dietary laws in Islam. Polygamy is prohibited, and men and women are viewed as equals. Many of the Druze living in Israel fully participate in Israeli society, and many of them serve in the Israeli Defense Forces.[20]
The Druze revere the father-in-law of Moses,Jethro orReuel, aKenite shepherd and priest ofMidian.[27] In theExodus, Moses' father-in-law is initially referred to as "Reuel" (Exodus 2:18) but then as "Jethro" (Exodus 3:1). According to the biblical narrative, Jethro joined and assisted the Israelites in the desert duringthe Exodus, accepted monotheism, but ultimately rejoined his own people. Thetomb of Jethro nearTiberias is the most important religious site for the Druze community and they gather there every April.[28]
Amin Tarif was theqadi, or spiritual leader, of the Druze inMandatory Palestine from 1928 and thenIsrael until his death in 1993. He was highly esteemed and regarded by many within the community as the preeminent spiritual authority in the Druze world.[29]
In January 2004, the current spiritual leader, Sheikh Muwaffak Tarīf, called on all non-Jews in Israel to observe theSeven Noahide Laws, as laid down in theBible and expounded upon inJewish tradition. The mayor of theGalilean city ofShefa-'Amr also signed the document.[28] The declaration includes the commitment to make a "... better humane world based on the Seven Noahide Commandments and the values they represent commanded by the Creator to all mankind through Moses on Mount Sinai".[28]
The Druze (Arabic:درزي,Derzī orDurzī,pl.:دروز,Durūz;Hebrew:דְּרוּזִים,Druzim; they call themselvesal-Muwaḥḥidīn,lit. 'the Monotheists') are anesoteric,monotheistic religious community found primarily inSyria,Lebanon,Israel, andJordan. The religion incorporates elements of Isma'ilism,Gnosticism,Neoplatonism, and other philosophies. The Druze call themselvesAhl al-Tawhid – 'People of Unitarianism or Monotheism' – oral-Muwaḥḥidūn, 'Unitarians, Monotheists'.Amin Tarif was the preeminent religious leader of the community until his death in 1993.[30]
Historically the relationship between theDruze andMuslims has been characterized by intense persecution.[31][32][33] The Druze faith is often classified as a branch ofIsma'ili. Although the faith originally developed out ofIsmaili Islam, most Druze do not identify asMuslims,[11][34][35] and they do not accept thefive pillars of Islam.[36] The Druze have frequently experienced persecution by different Muslim regimes such as theShiaFatimid Caliphate,[37]SunniOttoman Empire,[38] andEgypt Eyalet.[39][40] The persecution of the Druze includedmassacres, demolishing Druze prayer houses and holy places andforced conversion to Islam.[41] Those were no ordinary killings: they were meant to eradicate the entire community according to the Druze narrative.[42]
Historically, there have been conflicts in the relationship between the Druze andJews.[43]Anti-Jewish (antisemitic) bias is manifest in the Druze literature such as theEpistles of Wisdom; for example, in an epistle ascribed to one of the founders of Druzism,Baha al-Din al-Muqtana,[44] probably written sometime between AD 1027 and AD 1042, accused Jews of killing the sacred prophets.[45] On the other hand,Benjamin of Tudela, a Jewishtraveler from the 12th century, pointed out that the Druze maintained good commercial relations with the Jews nearby, and, according to him, this was because the Druze liked the Jewish people.[46] Yet, the Jews and Druze lived isolated from each other, except in a few mixed towns such asDeir al-Qamar andPeki'in.[46][47]
Conflict between Druze and Jews occurred during 17th centuryDruze power struggle in Mount Lebanon, and Druze destruction of Jewish settlements of Galilee such as the1660 destruction of Safed and the1660 destruction of Tiberias.[48][49] The1834 looting of Safed was a month-long attack on the Jewish community ofSafed in theSidon Eyalet of theOttoman Empire by Arabs and Druze during thePeasants' revolt in Palestine. It began on Sunday, June 15 (7Sivan), the day after the Jewish holiday ofShavuot, and lasted for 33 days.[50][51] It has been described as a spontaneous attack on a defenseless population during the armed uprising against the rule ofIbrahim Pasha of Egypt, theOttoman governor.[52][53] The event took place during apower vacuum while Ibrahim Pasha was fighting to quell the wider revolt inJerusalem.[54]
During theDruze revolt against the rule ofIbrahim Pasha of Egypt, theJewish community in Safad was attacked by Druze rebels in early July 1838. The violence against the Jews included plundering their homes and desecrating their synagogues.[55][56][57]
Druze in Israel live inMount Carmel, south ofHaifa, and inGalilee. The Druze settlement on Mount Carmel is relatively recent, although the precise timeline remains uncertain. Scholars acknowledge one tradition suggesting they settled atIsfiya, following the downfall of the Lebanon-centered House Ma'an.Daliyat al-Karmel's populace comprised refugees fromAleppo who arrived during the early 19th century.[58]
The1922 census of Palestine lists 7,028 Druze inMandatory Palestine (11 in Southern District, eight in Jerusalem-Jaffa, three in Samaria, and 7,006 in Northern District).[59] The 1931 census shows an increase with 9,148 Druze (four in Southern District, 28 in Jerusalem District, and 9,116 in Northern District).[60]
Before theestablishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the Druze lived in theGalilee andMount Carmel, either in exclusively Druze villages or in villages mixed withChristians, where they had coexisted for centuries. Historically, the relationship between the Druze and their Christian neighbors was better compared to their relationship with their Muslim neighbors, especiallyBedouins, in neighboring villages.[61] According to historianIlan Pappé, during the1948 Arab–Israeli War, in villages partly inhabited by Druze, Christians were generally exempt from expulsion.[62] Following the establishment of the State of Israel, Muslim refugees from neighboring villages that had been displaced during the war settled in mixed Druze-Christian villages such asAbu Snan,Rameh, andMaghar.[63]
During the1947–48 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine, the Druze inMandatory Palestine were under pressure from both the JewishYishuv leadership and from the PalestinianArab Higher Committee, and found it difficult to form an opinion about the conflict between the Jews and the Palestinian Arabs.[64] Noble Druze men from nearby countries visited Druze villages in Palestine and preached neutrality. During the early days of the conflict, a meeting of all the noblemen from all the Druze villages was conducted inDaliyat al-Karmel, where they all agreed not to take part in the riots instigated by the Arab Higher Committee.[64] This decision was backed by Druze leaders inJabal al-Druze. In the Druze community, there were opposing trends: In mixed Druze and Muslim villages such asIsfiya,Shefa-'Amr, andMaghar, where old sectarian disputes between Druze and Muslims shaped local dynamics,[64] and in Druze villages nearHaifa and the Jewish settlement in the westernGalilee, the local Druze leaders tended to prefer the Jews in the conflict; at the Druze villages deep in Arab areas, the local leaders were more careful with support of the Jews.[64]Yanuh and Jat were among several Druze villages located in the military zone ofArab Liberation Army (ALA) ofFawzi al-Qawuqji.[64]Josh Palmon was tasked by theJewish Agency for Israel to manage the relationship with the Druze. He initially led a preventive approach with the Druze, aimed at making sure the Druze would not join the Arab Higher Committee.[65]
The contacts between the Druze and the Jewish leadership were made throughLabib Hussein Abu Rokan from Isfya andSalah-Hassan Hanifes from Shefa-'Amr (both became members of theKnesset after Israel's establishment). Hanifas managed to bring the Druze villageYarka to co-operate with the Jews.[65]
During the war, Druze volunteers arrived to Mandatory Palestine in order to help defend the Druze villages there. When theArab Liberation Army (ALA) was created by theArab League,Shakib Wahhab, a Syrian–Druze military commander resigned from the Syrian army and established a Druze battalion for the ALA, collecting Druze volunteers who joined mostly due to economic reasons fromSyria andLebanon. Wahhab brought around 500 men and arrived to Shefa-'Amr in Palestine, where he established his command on 30 March 1948. The commander of the ALA,Fawzi al-Qawuqji, planned to deploy the Druze battalion in the northern regions ofSamaria under his command, but the military committee of the Arab League decided to establish a separate command for the Druze for the region near the city ofHaifa, excludingAcre. Wahhab traveled through the western Galilee region and sent men to the Druze villages of the Carmel. As the Druze volunteers arrived, there were attempts to talk with the volunteers, due to fear local Druze will join them. Najib Mansour, the head of Isfiya, met with agents of theHagannah in Haifa to discuss the arrival of Wahhab. Mansour did not agree to the demand that the local Druze would forcibly oppose the volunteers, and instead proposed the Jews bribe Wahhab to abandon his command.[66]
According to the IsraeliCentral Bureau of Statistics census in 2020, the Druze make up about 7.6% of theArab citizens of Israel,[69] and the Druze population in Israel was approximately 145,000.[70] At the end of 2019, approximately 81% of the Israeli Druze population lived in theNorthern District and 19% lived in theHaifa District, and the largest population of Druze wereDaliyat al-Karmel andYirka, also called Yarka.
The Israeli Druze population growth rate is 1.4%, which is lower than theMuslim population growth rate (2.5%) and the total population growth (1.7%), but higher than theArab Christian population growth rate (1.0%). At the end of 2017, the average age of the Israeli Druze was 27.9.[67] About 26.3% of the Israeli Druze population are under 14 years old and about 6.1% of the Israeli Druze are 65 years and over. Since the year 2000, the Israeli Druze community has witnessed a significant decrease infertility-rate and a significant increase in life expectancy.[67] The fertility rate for Israeli Druze in 2017 is 2.1 children per woman, while the fertility rate amongJewish women (3.2) and Muslim women (3.4) and the fertility rate amongIsraeli Christian women (1.9).[67]
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The Druze in Israel live in a handful of sectarian villages and several mixed-religionArab localities in pre-1967 Israel (Upper andLower Galilee andMount Carmel) and on theGolan Heights. The population figures are as follows (absolute figures and percentage of overall population):[1]
| Northern District (not including Golan Subdistrict) | Haifa District | Golan Subdistrict[71] (sub-section ofNorthern District) |
|---|---|---|
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The Druze citizens of Israel are Arab inculture,[72] and their mother tongue is theArabic language. The Druze Arabic dialect, especially in the villages, is often different from the otherregional Arabic dialects. Druze Arabic dialect is distinguished from others by retention of the phoneme/q/.[73] Linguistically, Israeli Druze are fluently bilingual, speaking both a Central Northern Levantine Arabic dialect andHebrew.[72] In Druze Arab homes and towns in Israel, the primary language spoken is Arabic, while some Hebrew words have entered the colloquial Arabic dialect. They often useHebrew characters to write their Arabic dialect online.[74]
A study published by the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in 2017 found that Druze population has the second highest achievements in the Arab sector on all indices:bagrut scores, rates of college graduates, and fields of employment. The Israeli Arab Christian population has the highest achievements.[75]
According to the IsraeliCentral Bureau of Statistics census in 2020, 79.9% of Druze in Israel were entitled to amatriculation certificate, which was higher than the proportion of Muslims (60.3%), but was lower than that of Christians (83.6%) and Jews (80.2%) with amatriculation certificate.[76] According to the IsraeliCentral Bureau of Statistics census in 2020, 15.3% of Druze in Israel have acollege degree,[77] which was lower than the number ofChristians (70.9%),[78] but slightly higher than the share ofMuslims (10%) with a degree.[79]
There are four Druze villages in the Israeli-annexed portion of theGolan Heights—Majdal Shams,Mas'ade,Buq'ata, andEin Qiniyye—in which 23,000 Druze live.[80][81][82] As of 2012, most of the Druze residents of the Golan Heights considered themselves to be Syrians and refused to take Israeli citizenship, instead holding Israelipermanent resident status, and in place of an Israeli passport used an Israel-issuedlaissez-passer document for travelling abroad, on which the citizenship paragraph is left empty.[83] However, the onset of theSyrian civil war and the Syrian regime's massacres of Druze minorities have shifted their loyalty toward Israel.[84][85] In the early 2020s, there was a significant increase in applications forIsraeli citizenship.[86]
Since the adoption of the 1981Golan Heights Law, the territory has been underIsraeli civil law, and incorporated into the Israeli system oflocal councils.[87] After the annexation of the Golan Heights in 1981, the Israeli government offeredcitizenship to all non-Israelis living in the territory;[83][88] as of 2011, less than 10% of the local Druze accepted it.[89] In 2012, however, due to theSyrian civil war, there was greater interest among Druze inIsraeli citizenship.[90] By 2017, nearly 5,500 out of 26,500 residents had applied for and received an Israeli passport. The yearly number of applications steadily rose, with 183 applying in 2016, compared to only five in 2000.[91] As of mid 2022, 4,303 Druze citizens ofSyria had been granted Israeli citizenship, or, 20% of the total Druze residents in the Golan Heights.[92] By 2024, it is estimated that 20 to 25% of Druze in Israel have Israeli citizenship.[93][94]
During the2011 Syrian uprising, Druze in the Golan Heights held several rallies in support of Syrian leaderBashar al-Assad.[95] Public support for the Assad government has historically been high among Golan Druze, and Syria has secured agreements with the Israeli government to permit Golan Druze to conduct trade across the border with Syria. Some tensions have arisen in the community due to differing stances on the Syrian civil war, although open public support for theSyrian opposition has been relatively uncommon.[96]
In the2009 elections, 1,193 residents of theAlawite village ofGhajar and 809 residents of the Druze villages were eligible to vote, out of approximately 1,200 Ghajar residents and 12,600 Druze village residents who were of voting age.[97] As Israel does not recognize the Syrian citizenship of Golan Druze, they are defined in Israeli records as "residents of the Golan Heights".[83] Those who apply for and receive Israeli citizenship are entitled to vote in Israeli elections, run forKnesset, and receive an Israeli passport.[88][93] Residents ofMajdal Shams and the other Golan Druze villages are not drafted into theIsrael Defense Forces.[10]
According to a 2022 report, the Druze population in the Golan Heights is increasingly seeking Israeli citizenship. A record number of citizenship requests have been filed, with many preferring not to discuss this publicly due to community pressure and potential repercussions. Statistics reveal a sharp increase in citizenship requests, from 75 to 85 annually in 2017–2018 to 239 in 2021. In 2022, around 4,300 of the 21,000 Druze residents (approximately 20%) of the Golan Heights held Israeli citizenship.[98][86] Hamas'October 7 attack andits escalation to the northern front has led to increased integration of the Druze communities in the Golan with Israeli authorities. In November 2023, the mayor of Majdal Shams, Dolan Abu Saleh, discussed the formation of the town's first IDF-trained guard squadron, calling it a milestone in the increasing "cooperation and harmony with IDF forces in the Golan villages".[86] During the first half of 2025, Golan Druze applications for Israeli citizenship jumped by 100% when compared to the entire year of 2024.[99]
According to aPew Research Center survey conducted in 2015, Druze in Israel are generally more religious thanIsraeli Jews, but less thanIsraeli Christians andMuslims. Around half (49%) sayreligion is very important in their lives.[100] About one third (26%) pray daily and 25% report that they attend prayer-houses of the Druze (khalwat) at least once a week.[100] Israeli Druze also are more likely than Jews and less likely than Christians and Muslims to participate in weekly worship services.[100] Nearly all (99%) Israeli Druze believe inGod, of whom 84% say they are absolutely certain.[100] According to theIsrael Democracy Institute survey conducted in 2015, 43% of Druze in Israel identified as traditional, 36% identified as not religious at all, 14% identified as religious, 7% identified as very religious.[101]
According to aPew Research Center survey conducted in 2015, the majority of Druze are not comfortable with their children marrying outside of the faith; Druze are about equally uncomfortable with the prospect of a child of theirs marrying a Jew (87%), Muslim (85%) or Christian (87%).[102] Christians and Druze also are more likely than Jews to say a goodreligious education is important for their children.[103]
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According to aPew Research Center survey conducted in 2015, Druze in Israel are less likely than Christians or Muslims to say they are proud of their identity.[104] About 90% say they have a strong sense of belonging to the Druze community.[104] Approximately two thirds (64%) believe that they have a special responsibility to help fellow members of their religious group who are in need around the world.[104]
The nature of Druze identity varies among Druze as well. Druze in Israel are divided among those who say their identity is mainly a matter of religion (18%),[104] those who say being Druze is mainly aboutancestry and/orculture (47%) and those who say their identity is characterized by a combination ofreligion andancestry/culture (34%).[104]
| Self Identification of young Druze, 2008 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Druze Israelis | 94% | |||
| Other | 6% | |||
Israeli Druze do not consider themselves Muslim, and see their faith as a separate and independent religion.[105] While compared toIsraeli Christians andMuslims, Druze place less emphasis onArab identity and self-identify more asIsraeli. However, they were less ready for personal relationships withJews compared toIsraeli Muslims andChristians.[106]
Some scholars maintain that Israel has tried to separate the Druze from other Arab communities, and that the effort has influenced the way Israel's Druze perceive their modern identity.[107][108]
In a survey conducted in 2008 by Dr. Yusuf Hassan ofTel Aviv University, 94% of Druze respondents identified as "Druze-Israelis" in the religious and national context,[109][110] while a 2017 Pew Research Center poll reported that while 99% of Muslims and 96% of Christians identified as ethnically Arab, a smaller share of Druze, 71%, identified likewise. Other Druze respondents identify their ethnicity as "Druze" or "Druze-Arab".[111] According to theIsrael Democracy Institute survey conducted in 2015, around 54% of Druze respondents said that religious identity (the Druze identity) is the most important identity for them, followed by Israeli identity (37%) andArab identity (5%).[106]
Druze citizens are prominent in theIsrael Defense Forces and inpolitics. The bond between Jewish and Druze soldiers is commonly known by the term "a covenant of blood" (Hebrew: ברית דמים,brit damim).[112]
Following Israel's establishment, the government mandated conscription for male Druze. From 1954 to 1956, the Druze community staged a resistance movement against this policy, known as the "conscription movement".[113]Amin Tarif, the spiritual leader leader of the Druze community in Israel at the time, vehemently opposed compulsory military service.[113] In 1953, he threatenedexcommunication for any Druze volunteering in the Israeli army and mobilized Druze women to resist conscription for their children.[113] Sheikh Tarif also refused to sanction marriages involving soldiers, viewing conscription as a threat to the community's reputation and values.[113]
On the contrary, another faction within the Druze community advocated for full cooperation with Israelis, including endorsing conscription. Notable leaders of this stance wereSalah-Hassan Hanifes andLabib Hussein Abu Rokan.[113]
Five Druze lawmakers were elected in 2009 to serve in the18th Knesset, a disproportionately large number considering their population.[114]Reda Mansour, a Druze poet, historian, and diplomat, explained: "We are the only non-Jewish minority that is drafted into the military, and we have an even higher percentage in the combat units and as officers than the Jewish members themselves. So we are considered a very nationalistic, patriotic community."[115]
In 1973,Amal Nasser el-Din founded the Zionist Druze Circle,[116][117] a group whose aim was to encourage the Druze to support the state of Israel fully and unreservedly.[118] Today, thousands of Israeli Druze belong to Druze Zionist movements.[119]
In 2007, Nabiah A-Din, mayor ofKisra-Sumei, rejected the "multi-cultural" Israeli constitution proposed by theIsraeli Arab organizationAdalah: "The state of Israel is a Jewish state as well as a democratic state that espouses equality and elections. We invalidate and reject everything that the Adalah organization is requesting", he said. According to A-din, the fate of the Druze and theCircassians in Israel is intertwined with that of the state. "This is a blood pact, and a pact of the living. We are unwilling to support a substantial alteration to the nature of this state, to which we tied our destinies prior to its establishment", he said.[120] As of 2005[update] there were 7,000 registered members in the Druze Zionist movement.[119] In 2009, the movement held a Druze Zionist youth conference with 1,700 participants.[121]
In a survey conducted in 2008 by Dr. Yusuf Hassan ofTel Aviv University found that out of 764 Druze participants, more than 94% identify as "Druze-Israelis" in the religious and national context.[109][110]
On 30 June 2011,Haaretz reported that a growing number of Israeli Druze were joining elite units of the military, leaving the official Druze battalion,Herev, under-staffed. This trend has led to calls for its disbandment.
On May 15, 2015, it was announced that the Druze battalionHerev would be shut down, thereby allowing Druze soldiers to integrate into the rest of the IDF, a wish that was relayed to IDF senior staff by leaders in the Druze community as well as formerHerev battalion commanders. After the July 2015 draft, the IDF no longer listed the Druze unit as an option. By September 2015, the battalion had been disbanded, and its soldiers joined other units.[122]
Druze also serve in elite units of the IDF such as theSayeret Matkal, and there are three Druze combat pilots serving in the Israeli Air Force.[123]
In 1948, many Druze volunteered for the Israeli army and no Druze villages were destroyed or permanently abandoned.[124] Since the establishment of thestate of Israel, the Druze have demonstrated solidarity with Israel and distanced themselves from Arab and Islamic radicalism.[125] Israeli Druze citizens serve in theIsrael Defense Forces.[126] The Jewish-Druze partnership was often referred to as "a covenant of blood" (Hebrew: ברית דמים,brit damim) in recognition of the common military yoke carried by the two peoples for the security of the country.[127][45][128] From 1957, the Israeli government formally recognized the Druze as a separate religious community,[105] and are defined as a distinct ethnic group in theIsraeli Ministry of Interior's census registration.[105] On the other hand, theIsrael Central Bureau of Statistics categorizes Druze as Arabs in their census.[129]Israeli Druze do not consider themselves Muslim, and see their faith as a separate and independent religion.[105] While compared toIsraeli Christians andMuslims, Druze place less emphasis on theirArab identity and self-identify more asIsraeli. However, they were less ready for personal relationships withJews compared toIsraeli Muslims andChristians.[106] A trend Ibrahim attributes to cultural differences between Jews and Druze.[130]
The relationship between the Druze andChristians in Israel has been characterized byharmony and peacefulcoexistence,[131] and they live in peace and friendship together.[132] However, there have been exceptions of rare clashes, including acts of violence by the Druze against Christians in 2005 in thetown of Maghar.[133][134] Druze and Christians in Israel celebrate each other's births, weddings, funerals, and celebrations such as the Christian festival of Mar Ilyas (Saint Elias) inHaifa.[135] Many Druze and Muslims attendChristian schools in Israel, becauseChristian schools are high-performing and among the best schools in the country.[134]
Interaction between Christians (members of theMaronite,Eastern Orthodox,Melkite, and other churches) and the Unitarian Druze have resulted in the establishment and existence of mixed villages and towns inGalilee region,Mount Carmel, and theIsraeli-occupied portion of theGolan Heights.[134] This includesAbu Snan,Daliyat al-Karmel,Ein Qiniyye,Hurfeish,Isfiya,Kafr Yasif,Kisra-Sumei,Majdal Shams,Maghar,Peki'in,Rameh andShefa-Amr,[134] where more than 82,000 Druze and 30,000 Christians live in these mixed villages and towns.[134] Before Israel's occupation, Christians accounted for 12% of the population of theGolan Heights, and they tend to have a high presentation inscience and in thewhite collar professions.[136]
Israeli Druze and Muslims have comparable socio-economic standards when compared to their wealthier and more educatedIsraeli Christian counterparts.[137] Despite rare exceptions of sectarian incidents between the more privileged Christian community and the Druze, scholar Ibtisam Ibrahim's research reveals that most Druze interviewees view their relationship with the Christian community more positively than with the Muslim community.[130]
Druze are Arab by language, culture, and custom... Survey data has long suggested that Israeli Druze identify themselves first and foremost identity as Druze (in terms of their religion), secondarily as Arabs (in terms of their of their culture), and thirdly as Israeli (in terms of citizenship).
In 1957, the Druze were declared a religious community in Israel.
In 1957, the Druze were recognized as a distinct religious confession.
Theologically, one would have to conclude that the Druze are not Muslims. They do not accept the five pillars of Islam. In place of these principles the Druze have instituted the seven precepts noted above..
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)Druze religious beliefs developed out of Isma'ill teachings. Various Jewish, Christian, Gnostic, Neoplatonic, and Iranian elements, however, are combined under a doctrine of strict monotheism.
Some Muslim rulers and jurists have advocated the persecution of members of the Druze Movement beginning with the seventh Fatimi Caliph Al-Zahir, in 1022. Recurring periods of persecution in subsequent centuries ... failure to elucidate their beliefs and practices, have contributed to the ambiguous relationship between Muslims and Druzes
Historically, Islam classified Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians as protected "People of the Book," a secondary status subject to payment of a poll tax. Nevertheless, Zoroastrians suffered significant persecution. Other religions such as the Alawites, Alevis, and Druze often suffered more.
the Druze religion, though originating from the Isma'lliyya, an extreme branch of the Shia, seceded completely from Islam and has, therefore, experienced periods of persecution by the latter.
Most Druze do not consider themselves Muslim. Historically, they faced much persecution and keep their religious beliefs secrets.
While they appear parallel to those of normative Islam, in the Druze religion they are different in meaning and interpretation. The religion is considered distinct from the Ismaili as well as from other Muslims belief and practice... Most Druze consider themselves fully assimilated in American society and do not necessarily identify as Muslims..
Theologically, one would have to conclude that the Druze are not Muslims. They do not accept the five pillars of Islam. In place of these principles, the Druze have instituted the seven precepts noted above..
With the succession of al-Zahir to the Fatimid caliphate a mass persecution (known by the Druze as the period of themihna) of the Muwaḥḥidūn was instigated ...
...One example of Druze anti—Jewish bias is contained in an epistle ascribed to one of the founders of Druzism, Baha al-Din
However, the insurrection soon lost its original purpose and turned into bloody rioting and excesses directed against the Jewish population. The rioting was most severe in Safed, where assaults and vandalism forced many Jews to flee to the nearby village of Ein Zetim or relocate to Jerusalem. During the attacks, some 500 Torah scrolls were destroyed in Safed alone. The rioting continued until a contingent ofDruze troops from Ibrahim's army arrived to halt the violence. The governor of Safed and thirteen of the ringleaders were taken captive, summarily tried, and put to death.
However, the attacks on the Jews of Safed and Jerusalem in 1834, though part of the general uprising, were only minor episodes in a campaign whose wrath was directed primarily against the Egyptian conquest.
The Druze and local Muslims vandalised the Jewish quarter. During three days, though they enacted a replay of the 1834 plunder, looting homes and desecrating synagogues — but no deaths were reported. What could not be stolen was smashed and burned. Jews caught outdoors were robbed and beaten.
In the summer of 1838 the Druses revolted against Ibrahim Pasha, and once more the Jews were the scapegoat. The Moslems joined the Druses in repeating the slaughter and plunder of 1834.
There had been pogroms against the Jews in Safed in 1834 and 1838.
...still consider themselves citizens of Syria today... Since the Israelis annexed the Golan in 1981, the Syrian Druze have been eligible for Israeli citizenship, but most reject it and instead have permanent resident status and a , with their citizenship line empty, except for a line of stars.
(a) Druze ethnicity and ethnic issues still are instruments in the hands of Israel government officials as well as interested parties among the Druze elite. And, of course, with an ethnie as pronounced as that of the Druze, there was from the start a ready "core" that could be made use of and a plethora of "givens" in which to embed new "invented traditions". (b) The timing of the articles just when the process of separating the Druze from the other Arabs in Israel was in full swing.
This subdivision of the Arab population enables the administration to relate to the non-Jewish minority in Israel as if it lacks any overall Arab identity, and specifically to the Druze as if they are at once Arabs and non-Arabs. An analysis of this situation which sees Druze ethnicity simply as an internally generated product of Druze history and culture, or as a product of some independent Druze strategy, and which ignores the nature of the Israeli State, is bound to obscure the latter's manipulative role in the generation of political consciousness." Jonathan Oppenheimer, "The Druze in Israel as Arabs and non-Arabs:Manipulation of Categories of Identity in a non-Civil State,
Virtually all Muslims (99%) and Christians (96%) surveyed in Israel identify as Arab. A somewhat smaller share of Druze (71%) say they are ethnically Arab. Other Druze respondents identify their ethnicity as "Other," "Druze" or "Druze-Arab."
This Jewish-Druze partnership was often referred to as a "covenant of blood," in recognition of the common military yoke carried by the two peoples for the security of the country.
Christians have, on average, higher educational achievements, marry at an older age, have fewer children, and enjoy larger income... Druze and Muslims share many cultural patterns, and they have a similar socioeconomic standing, but while Druze males have to serve in the military, Muslim men (as well as Christian) do not.
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