Druze wave Israeli flags in Sweida, Syria, following massacre

Druze – Israel’s Mountain Allies and Tactics of Survival

Druze Tactics of Survival and a Very Special Alliance

DRUZE TACTICS OF SURVIVAL AND A VERY SPECIAL ALLIANCE

A very special alliance; Druze who?; Druze survival – low profile, heads high, mountains; Druze survival – secret religion and a closed society; Druze survival – decentralization; Druze survival – Taqiyya; Druze survival – a question of identity and loyalty; Fearless warriors; postscript – wars, protest, Druze survival and my writing block

At the bottom of this page there are links to all my posts on the Druze

Note: If you find any gross errors in this, or any of the other articles on the topic, please notify me in the Comments section below.

A Very Special Alliance

The military service of the Druze in the IDF and the awareness that they are an integral part of the army and government in the State of Israel, contributes to the sense of security of the Druze in Israel and even the Druze outside of Israel, when the security of the Druze across the border is threatened.

Dr. Anan Wahabi, Haifa University Tweet

Renewed alliance

Dr. Anan Wahabi from Haifa University writes in a Jerusalem Post article that for the Druze (See below Druze Who), the alliance with the Zionist movement was a renewed alliance, which had actually began with the connection between Moses and Jethro, (Nabi Shoaib), a father and prophet of the Druze (See also my post: “Druze Secret Religion – for the Chosen Few”).

Jethro (Moses’ father-in-law) was the Kenite/Midianite leader with whom Moses had stayed for ten years, and whose daughter, Tzipora, he had married. Together, they built the strategy to lead The People from slavery to freedom. The Druze claim to be descendants of the Kenite tribe. It should be mentioned here that in the Druze religion, prophets and foudners come in pairs. Jesus and John the Baptist, Mohammad and Ali are further examples.

And across the millenia

Benamin of Tudela, the Jewish explorer, who visited Lebanon in 1165, reported that the Druze are “mountain dwellers, monotheists, who believe in ‘soul eternity’ and reincarnation“, and that “they loved the Jews“.

With the advent of Zionism, the Druze acted independently and did not respond to the calls from Hajj Amin Husseini in 1929 to attack the newcomers and the established Jewish communities on the land. This positive attitude did not go unnoticed, and friendly relations were forged between Israelis and Druze, including leaders like President Ben Zvi and Yigal Alon.

The State of Israel was the only one ever to have recognized the Druze as an independent religious minority, with its own religious institutions, freedom of worship, independent courts, and a religious council of 75 members, led by the spiritual leader of the community.

The Druze in Israel make up 1.5% of the population, but their influence and importance far exceed their numbers.

Druze contribution to Israel’s security

Many Druze served in the Haganah, Israel’s proto-army in various intelligence missions, before 1948. 173 Druze lost their lives and received special military honors. After Israel’s establishment, they continued to serve in the IDF as volunteers, but since 1956, they were included in the mandatory conscription law. Girls were exempted according to an agreement between Sheikh Amin Tarif and the Israeli government. Today, though, many Druze girls wish to help their country and enlist to the national service.

Druze served in a special Druze unit until the early 1970s, when all IDF units were opened to them. Because of the success of this integration, then IDF Chief of Staff, Gadi Eizenkot, closed the special Druze Sword Battalion in May 2015.

Druze soldiers excel on the battlefield and have received many honors. To date, the Druze community counts around 500 fallen. (see my post “Druze Cemeteries – State, Religion and the Soul“. Sometimes conflicts arise in which Druze might be found on two sides of a battle or in a clash of loyalties, as is the situation now in Southern Syria. Notable is the complex affiliation issue of the Golan Druze (see below on Druze loyalty issues)

Druze are committed to help their brethren wherever they need help, much like us, Jews.

What Israel owes the Druze

Sarah Stern, founder of Emet, a pro-Israeli think tank and policy institute, visited a Druze military cemetery and wrote an article about what Israel owes the Druze. She emphasizes :

This alliance is not merely symbolic. It is written in blood.

Among others, she mentions the heroism of soldiers like Col. Kamal Kheir a-Din, who served with distinction in elite combat units and whose funeral drew thousands of mourners from all sectors of Israeli society.

She states that

Druze loyalty is not “born of compulsion, but of a deep, mutual sense of destiny woven over decades of shared struggle”.

The passage of the controversial Nation-State Law in 2018, which defines Israel exclusively as the national homeland of the Jewish people, offended many Druze Israelis. They felt that a nation they had fought and died for did not treat them as equals. An attempt was done to add a special “Druze clause” to the law. but so far, with our current right-wing governments, attempts to change the law have failed despite multiple petitions in the Knesset.

Stern quotes the late President Reuven Rivlin, who said that the Druze were the glue binding together the four Israeli tribes – secular Jew, religious Jew, ultra orthodox and Arabs. I personally feel that the Druze contribute to our country way more than the ultra orthodox, but that is matter for another post.

In conclusion, stern says that Israel owes the Druze more than gratitude, but also financial and security policies that reflect their contribution and a greater role in national decision-making.

In villages nestled among the hills of the Galilee and the slopes of Mount Carmel, Druze families raise children with the expectation of service—not only to their own people, but to the country as a whole. Tales of bravery and solidarity are passed down from generation to generation, forming the backbone of a unique Israeli identity that transcends faith or ancestry.

Sarah Stern, Emet Tweet

Druze Who????

If you are not from the northwestern part of the Middle East, most chances are you have never heard of the Druze until now, when all of a sudden they feature at the top of the news, and conflicts involving them threaten to further undermine the fragile tapestry of the region. (see my post Druze Crisis in Syria – Horrors, Analysis and What Next“).

In Israel’s North,Druze are everywhere

I was not personally acquainted with many Druze until I moved up north two years ago, but now they have become an integral part of my life. Within a few kilometers from my rented kibbutz home there are the Druze villages of Ein el Assad, Beit Jan and Sajur, as well as mixed villages with a Druze majority, like Ramah and Maghar, When the war with Hezbollah started, my landlord reassured me of our safety, saying that the village on the other side of the olive plantation is Druze and “they all serve in the army”. Notably, Druze children learn to kiss the Israeli flag from kindergarten age.

The tall, strong, 50-something well-built guy who brings my gas tanks up and down the 46 stairs when I run out, is a religious Druze with the traditional wide white knit kippa on his head. Interestingly, on his first visit at my place, we had a little conversation in which I mentioned Hezbollah. He muttered angrily under his mustache that they are not the party of God, as they claim to be (Hezb-Allah), but a Hezb-Satan, the Party of the Devil. At this point in time, they did not yet shoot much over the border, but were busy accumulating weapons secretly for their “take over the Galilee” project.

The life guard at the kibbutz pool is Druze. Most policemen in the area are Druze. You meet them everywhere – in the shopping centers, gas stations, garages, doctor offices. Druze boast high education and an eagerness to learn and advance in society. They claim to a culture of honor and respect, especially towards women.

Most importantly, as mentioned above, is the Druze service in the Israeli military. Druze fulfil important combat roles, including high officer positions and participation in the elite special units. (see my posts: “Druze Cemeteries – State, Religion and the Soul” and “Under the Oak Tree in Yanuh-Jat”.

Some stats

Worldwide there are only about 1.2 million Druze, so don’t feel guilty if you have never heard of them. They live mostly in three countries: southern Syria (~600,000), the high mountain in Lebanon (~420,000) and northern Israel (152,886 count in 2025). There are small communities in north and south America, Europe, Australia, and Saudi Arabia.

In Israel, they comprise 1.7% of the total population, and live primarily in the north – the Galilee, Mount Carmel region and the Golan. They reside in 23 villages, the largest of which are Daliyat el-Carmel in the Carmel region and Yarka in the western Lower Galilee (see my post “Yarka and Julis – Two Quaint Galilean Villages”). Most villages are located in mountainous areas, previously relatively inaccessible, for protection.

The Druze population in Israel, in similarity with the general population has increased ten-fold since Independence, from about 14,500 to ~150,000. The increase is mostly due to natural growth plus the annexation of the Golan Heights in 1967. In contrast , Jewish Israeli population grew from natural growth, but also from massive immigration waves over the years.

Druze Survival - Low Profile, Heads High, Mountains

Mountain people

Most of the world’s inhabitants have never heard of the Druze. They are generally quiet, keep to themselves and try to avoid trouble. Our day trip to four Galilean villages was aptly called “Druze, the Mountain People“. A persecuted religion, keen on survival and freedom, naturally takes to remote, inaccessible terrains. The Galilee is not the Himalaya of course, nor is the famed Syrian Druze Mountain, Jabal al- Druze, but in local terms, over the centuries, mountains were a protection, and roads to the high villages were intentionally kept scarce and perilous..

Interestingly, some claim that, by ancient DNA inquiry, much Druze “blood” emanates from the high mountains of Turkey, northern Iraq and southern Armenia, as well as the Zagros mountains, and that only 15% of their genes are Levantine. Many agree that a dominant tribal origin from the Caucasus seems plausible.

Yigal Alon and the dream of a Druze state

Our guide told us stories about Yigal Alon, a Palmach commander and Israeli politician, who tried to promote the re-establishment of a Druze state between us and Syria, that will be in alliance with Israel. He even secretly visited the Druze in Syria, an enemy state, and made contacts with Sultan Al Atrash, the leader of the short-lived Druze autonomous state. Historically, such a “state” has indeed existed for about 15 years between the two world wars under French aegis, and was the only time in history when a Druze state existed.

Alon famously rode his horse among the Druze villages, talking to people. He understood the need for paving proper roads into their mountainous dwellings, and initiated projects that would enable their easy integration into the Israeli State, society and the modern world. Anybody who drove inside Druze villages knows how precipitous and convoluted the streets and alleys still are, but today all villages are connected to the road grid and to all the necessary infrastructure the state provides.

In 1967, Yigal Allon called to not only conquer the Golan Heights, but also the Suwayda region. “I dreamt the dream of the Druze republic,” Allon recorded in his memoirs, “which would spread in southern Syria including the Golan Heights and would serve as a buffer state between us, Syria and Jordan.”

Jerusalem Post Tweet

Druze Survival - A Secret Religion and a Closed Society

A major survival tactic the Druze adopted was their secretive religion. More about this in my post “Druze Secret Religion – for the Chosen Few“.

Here is suffices to say that a religion which is being shunned and delegitimized, and its advocates considered heathen and idolatrous by dominant aggressive powers, does better hiding itself. Notably, religions of peace and tolerance, like Baha’i, Sufi and Druze are unacceptable to Islamic fanatics, and maybe even more so because they are. Elevated thinking, tolerance, love, equality between the genders and a philosophical approach to life are anathema to them.

To keep its secrecy, only about 10% of the Druze themselves are acquainted with the secrets of their religion, and those who do must undergo a process of learning and acceptance of a highly strict code of personal behavior.

Druze Survival – a closed society

Another element in Druze coherence and survival is a hermetically-closed society. No one gets in and no one gets out. As mentioned elsewhere, after 22 years of missionizing, Druze society closed up to newcomers, and that included prohibition on marriages outside the religion. In many ways, these tactics remind us of Jewish survival methods in the Diaspora. In Druze society, the element of reincarnation within the society might have also played a part.

A girl my friend knew had to give up on her beloved because he was half Christian, and that is a no-no for both men and women. She, a very open-minded, liberal university student, accepted the harsh decree.

Druze Survival - Decentralization

ir told us the Druze have no temple, no cathedral, no sacred geography, only several sacred sites, mostly tombs of prophets and religion founders. There is no world center, like the Baha’i hubs in Haifa and Akko.

Interestingly, the Druze higher administrative center is located in Kfar Yasif, which is not Druze-dominant, and that is intentional. The neutrality makes things safer for the Druse courts and higher legislative council.

Nebi Ya’afuri’s tomb, hilwe and pilgrimage site in the Golan

Druze Survival - Taqiyya

In Islam, especially in Shi’a Islam, taqiyya is the practice of dissimulation and secrecy of religious belief. It is regarded as the act of maintaining secrecy or mystifying one’s beliefs when one’s life or property is threatened. The principle of Taqiyya permits, even commands, a minority to behave outwardly as the people in which it resides, with survival the paramount aim.

By necessity, the Druze adhere to this command when threatened. Keeping the Eid al Adha holiday is one way of outwardly placating the surrounding Muslim society. In similar ways, to all appearances, the Jewish Anusim or Crypto-Jews posed externally as Christians in Spain and its colonies, and kept Judaism, or parts of it, in secret.

It must be mentioned in this context, that Muslims hate Druze more than they hate Jews and Christians, and it is well known that there is no great love there, either. They consider Druze to be infidels and idolatrous, which is, of course, a total distortion of truth. Druze are strictly monotheistic. Basically, Muslims cannot forgive anyone who used to be Muslim and “defected” from the one and only true religion, as they view the Druze, Baha’i and other sects. Islam is an absolutist, imperialistic religion.

Druze Survival - A Question of Identity and Loyalty

Being a very small and insulated minority, the Druze have practically given up on nationality aspirations. The flag is mostly symbolic. In the wake of the horrific events in Syria (see my post “Druze Crisis in Syria- Horrors, Analysis and What Next“), though, there are voices calling for an independent state, but this is marginal. The main Druze mode of survival, in the absence of a Druze state, is to lean on whoever does not persecute them: France, Britain, Israel, and/or to be loyal to the country they reside in – secular Syria, even under the horrible Assad, the Lebanese government, Israel, etc.

In practical terms, that means, generally speaking, but not hermetically true, serving in the Israeli army in Israel, the Syrian military in Syria and the Lebanese army in Lebanon. This can sometimes be problematic as described below. Notably, also, there was the famous Druze rebellion against the French in the twenties, and the short-lived Druze state that ensued, but was still under the general aegis of France.

Druze wave Israeli flags in Sweida. Some Syrian Druze, but not all, wish to be annexed to Israel.

Druze loyalty complexities

If you thought the issue of Jewish identity and loyalty complex, here come the Druze

Syria

In the case of the Syrian Civil War, both Assad’s army, which tried to forcibly recruit them, and the Jihadists, who tried to annihilate them, were fighting on Druze soil. The Druze straddled a fine line throughout the war seeking, not always successfully, to be left on their own.

Israel

The Israeli Druze serve in the Israeli army as of 1956, and are required by law to do so, but the Druze living in the Golan Heights, a territory occupied from Syria in 1967, have mostly declind our warm invitation. They still keep their allegiance to Syria, and refuse to take on Israeli citizenship and join the military. However, in the wake of the brutality of the Syrian Civil War and Assad’s atrocities, increased numbers have enlisted and also taken on Israeli citizenship. The current crisis in Syria leads more Druze to move in the same direction, especially as there are calls in the Syrian Druze community itself to be annexed to Israel.

The Golan ambivalence

In principle, the Golan Druze see themselves as loyal to Syria, as long as the politics and status of that territory are not finalized. Dr. Anan Wahabi states that the unrest in Syria is bringing the Golan Druze closer to the community in Israel. Out of 25,000 Druze in the Golan, thousands have already requested and received Israeli citizenship, and many were recruited to the IDF. He says that “they seem to understand, cautiously, that their future is in Israel“.

Fighting their brothers

Sadly, Druze have fought other Druze when disputes occurred across borders. Their loyalty lies to the mother country. Similarly, Jews have fought on both sides of the line in WWI.

One notable example is the battle between IDF forces and the Iraqi “Qawuqji’s Liberation Army” in 1948, when 11 Israeli Druze were killed by their brethren.. Those who participated in that battle and stayed here, tried to make do to Israel later, so their fidelity to the state would not be questioned. Check the subsection “Fighting their brothers – the battle on the hill” in my post “Druze cemeteries – State, Religion and the Soul“.

The Druze are universally acknowledged to be excellent, fearless fighters.

As a measure of survival, the Druze minority, wherever they live, tend to rely for their safety, security and prosperity on local governments. This has been evident in Israel where they serve in the IDF and police, and also in Lebanon and Syria. In return, the Druze show their loyalty to the government, which protects them.

Jerusalem Post Tweet

Mutual loyalty

The Syrian involvement

In September 2014, when ISIS forces were threatening to attack Jabal Druze in Syria, general Amir Eshel, then commander of the Israeli Air Force, promised Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of the Druze, that “Our alliance with the Druze doesn’t end at the border.”

And, indeed, following rallies by Israeli Druze, the IDF protected Syrian Druze villages close to its border with Syria, as well as covertly supported Druze areas deeper sstill, and sent clear messages to all sides involved to not harm the Druze.

The current crisis puts Israel to the test

As of now, under the new presumably peaceful regime in Syria, the Druze have been threatened and attacked again and worse.

On July 15, following the horrid massacre of July 13th (The Druze October 7th as it is known), Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz reiterated Israel’s “deep covenant of blood with our Druze citizens” and their connections to Druze in Syria.

Currently, this promise is again put to the test. Bedouins and regime soldiers, motivated by the Islamic Jihadi hatred of minorities, slaughtered close to 2000 Druze in the Al Sweida region in southern Syria over July and August this year. In retaliation, and in way of deterrence, Israel attacked the presidential palace in Damascus, and bombed regime tanks and personnel. As of this writing, the situation is still fragile and tenuous. See my post “Druze Crisis in Syria – Trouble Always Brews in the North”

PM Netanyahu meeting with Sayeret Matkal elite IDF unit fighter, Druze combatant Salim Shufi, who saved his life while in service.

Source: https://www.kikar.co.il/israel-news/ssk05

Salim Shufi,the warrior who saved Netanyahu from certain death

Salim Shufi, a fascinating figure, played an important role in Israel’s history. Read about his outstanding life and his service to the Jewish state in here.

Saving Netanyahu

In the late 1960s during a classified operation in Syria. a fighting squad, led by the young Benjamin Netanyahu, was caught in a severe snowstorm on Mount Hermon. Salim Shufi, the first Druze to be recruited into the Matkal elite unit, was sent along with another team, led by Uzi Dayan, to rescue them. He knew the terrain well, and the ways of mountains.

Major General Uzi Dayan (res.) recounts how his squad climbed up and down Mount Hermon for 36 consecutive hours to safely extract Netanyahu’s team from the storm, and how he almost killed Shufi, mistaking him for an enemy. Luckily, he locked his gun at the last moment: “Salim was an extraordinarily brave fighter. Thanks to him, the team returned safely, without any confrontations.”

At a memorial ceremony for Shufi in 2012, Netanyahu shared the story and the lesson he learned from the brave Druze fighter:

“Salim taught me the secrets of night navigation in the field and how to remain concealed during the day, but Salim also taught me something else. He told me, ‘You may find yourself in the snow, and if you do, there is one rule you must remember. It will be very cold. It will be hard to think. But you must remember just one thing: Whoever sits down does not get up.’”

Netanyahu remembered the lesson during future operations and thus saved even more lives.

Paying the debt or strategic policy?

In 2025, as Israel intervenes on behalf of the Druze in Syria, it is hard not to wonder whether this is the “debt” Netanyahu spoke of repaying, or if it is part of a long-term strategic move.. Though the Arab world is suspicious of Netanyahu’s motives, in the Druze world great celebrations followed Israel’s declarations at the time.

Beyond strategy, people believe that the personal debt of Netanyahu to Salim Shufi plays a role in the decisions coming out of Jerusalem’s war room.

“In some ways, Salim was ahead of his time. If we help their brethren in Syria in their time of distress, they will understand that we are both strong and good for them.”

Major General (Res.) Uzi Dayan Tweet

The Brotherhood – inter-Druze loyalty

Following the artificial division of the Middle East into states by the colonial powers after WWI, the Druze found themselves split between Syria, Lebanon and the British mandate in then so-called Palestine, which eventually transformed into modern Israel. Despite their geographical dispersion, the Druze maintained a strong sense of communal identity. One of the most important tenets of their creed is “protection of brothers of the faith”, which might surpass their allegiance to their respective nationalities. All this is now on the front of the world’s headlines.

Israeli Druze crossing the border to help their brethren in Syria.

Source: Ynet. Credit: Effi Sharir

Druze Survival - Fearless Warriros

As mentioned above, the Druze are universally acknowledged to be excellent combatants. Centuries of fighting to protect their lives and their families, and myriad occasions on which they had fought other people’s wars, yet had to prove their loyalty and fealty, all those helped to improve their combat skills and spirits. Life in the mountains in difficult terrains also helped to toughen them. Caucasian genes (from the Caucasus) might have played a part, and above all, their belief in reincarnation, which makes death trivial in their eyes.

Land (ard), honor (a’rd), religion (din)

General Amir Eshel, previous commander of the Israeli Air Force to Sheikh Muwafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of the Israeli Druze: “Our alliance with the Druse doesn’t end at the border.” (Sept. 2014)

Jerusalem Post Tweet

Postscript - Wars, protests, Druze Survival and my Writing Block

To my readers – honest disclosure

If my readers and subscribers were wondering where I had disappeared to in the past year and a half or so ,the truth be told, since October 7th, 2023, I have been pretty much incapable of writing. If you are not aware of what happened to Israel on that date, please Google it.

The way it affected my writing in a direct way was that my grand planned project Israel’s Best. still in diapers, had been undermined and compromised, and hence repeatedly postponed, delayed, and almost aborted, The overwhelming realities surrounding me, demanding my active involvement, physical and emotional, in the social upheavals here, made writing about the best of Israel difficult. Between volunteering, protesting and just freezing in place, alternating feelings of frustration, defiance, fear, powerlessness, sadness, anger and despair kept overwhelming my creative self.

Nonetheless, I still consider my move to Israel’s North an absolute blessing, even though it inevitably brought the war with Hezbollah to my doorstep, while Jerusalem, hosting Al Aksa mosque, was generally spared. My Kibbutz did not suffer directly, but we had to run repeatedly to the security rooms, missiles were flying overhead all around us, we smelled the fires and heard the falls. Still, my home is like a womb, offering much privacy, away from the maddening crowds, and I am surrounded by Nature, Land and nice, excellent people. I grow much of my own food in my garden, which gives me peace and a feeling of some control, and my life, other than the politics and the security situation, is actually fairly nice.

Did the Druze plight break my writing block?

Before the national events affected my zeal for writing, I actually did start a new subsection on this website, “Galilee and Northern Israel – an Experiment in Co-Existence“, being fascinated by the rich human tapestry of the Galilee. And indeed, this is what this area is about – a mosaic of cultures, histories, landscapes, natural riches and ways of life, which in normal times seem to work fairly well together.

In that mosaic, the Druze, a minority to be found almost exclusively in Israel, Lebanon and southern Syria, plays a very important and unique part.

On May 15th this year, I participated in a day trip to four Druze villages in the Lower Galilee. I took elaborate notes of every word our celebrated tour guide, Mr. Nir Keinan, uttered, as well as pictures. The idea rose to write about the Druze, an ethnic group I sympathize with, am fascinated by and care for its well-being and survival. But still I procrastinated for all the above reasons.

Today, the Druze are at the center of the news, and my writing bug was activated again.

Essentially, I felt that there is no clearer, better cause for me right now to concentrate on. Bringing this wonderful group of people to the front, acknowledging their amazing contribution, appreciating their underlying values – all these played a part in a period when I find it very difficult to differentiate between good and bad, lies and truth.

As I started working on the topic, I saw that one post wouldn’t do it justice. More and more sub topics sprang up, amassing to the size of a small project. Eventually the subject branched into 7 separate articles, all listed in the box below, with their links. Like life itself, the topics overlap, so organization will not be perfect and some repetitions were unavoidable. Bear with me and enjoy getting acquainted with this wonderful group of people.

Druze, Israel’s Quiet Allies – History, Current Events, Women, Religion and More

In this post series I attempt to cover several topics pertaining to this fascinating and little-known religious group and ethnic minority in Israel, now on the top of world’s news. Here you can scroll through the topics according to your interest:

Under the Oak Tree in Yanuh-Jat – Intro the the Druze; Israel’s Mountain Allies and Tactics of Survival; Druze Crisis in Syria – Horrors, Analysis and What Next; Druze Secret Religion – for the Chosen Few; Druze Cemeteries – State, Religion and the Soul; Yarka and Julis – Two Quaint Galilean Druze Villages; Druze Women Juggling Tradition and Moderna.

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Druze – Israel’s Mountain Allies and Tactics of Survival

Druze Tactics of Survival and a Very Special Alliance