This is the fourth post in the Peoples of Israel series. Travel through the Galilee, Mount Carmel or the Golan Heights and you’ll pass through Druze towns and villages — communities with one of the most distinctive stories of any group in Israel.
A faith apart
The Druze are a distinctive Arabic-speaking religious community whose faith developed in the Middle East in the early 11th century, during the Fatimid period in Egypt. Over time, Druze communities became concentrated in the mountainous regions of what are today Lebanon, Syria and Israel.
Around 150,000 Druze live in Israel, mainly in the Galilee, on Mount Carmel and in the Golan Heights. The community maintains a strong religious and cultural identity, while also being deeply involved in Israeli public life.
Service and leadership
Druze men have served in the IDF under compulsory service since the 1950s, and members of the community have reached some of the highest levels of the military and government. Yusef Mishleb became the first Druze officer to reach the rank of Major General in the IDF. Ghassan Alian became the first Druze commander of the Golani Brigade and later reached the rank of Major General. Imad Fares served as a senior brigadier general and commanded the Givati Brigade.
In politics, Salah Tarif became the first non-Jewish Israeli to serve as a cabinet minister. Druze politicians, officers, doctors, academics and public officials continue to play a visible role in Israeli society. The Druze story in Israel is one of a community preserving a very strong and separate identity while participating extensively in the institutions of the state.
Planning your visit
Druze villages are woven into some of Israel’s most beautiful driving routes. Day 6 of my Adventure Tours itinerary takes you rafting and off-roading through the Golan Heights — the same region that is home to some of Israel’s oldest Druze communities.
See Also
Adventure Tours — Golan Heights, Day 6: rafting and off-roading through the volcanic landscape that is home to some of Israel’s oldest Druze communities.
