For someone unfamiliar with the events in the region, it was a powerful shock: Israel bombing Syria heavily, defending an Arab sect of Muslims in its neighboring country? The shock might be less if one remembered that after the attack of October 7, the villages of this sect, the Druze, had been emptied of men. They had all enlisted in the Israeli army to fight Hamas and Hezbollah. After all, in the Hamas attack, some of the victims were Druze.
The Druze, an Arab sect of about a million people living mainly in Syria, Lebanon and Israel, are the only minority - along with the Circassians - allowed to serve in the IDF. And they do so happily - often occupying high-ranking positions in the army, police and other security forces - since this 1,5% minority not only feels that they are a part of Israel but is also treated as such. It is enough to consider that more than 20.000 Druze live in the Golan Heights, sharing the area peacefully with an equal number of Jewish settlers and, when Israel occupied the strategically important plateau, it was quick to offer Israeli citizenship to all Druze. Those who did not accept - as they feel Syrian - received residence cards from Israel, along with their families. And in the clashes between Assad's forces and the fanatical Sunni Islamists, the Druze found themselves in the middle, and perhaps that is why they now view the new Syrian administration with reservations.
Israel says the ties that connect it to the Druze are historical. Who are they?
The Druze are one of the most mysterious and peculiar religious communities in the Middle East. They are not exactly Muslims (although they come from the Islamic world, the Druze have formed an independent religious identity, which is not recognized as Muslim by the dominant currents of Islam that characterize them as schismatics), they are not Christians or Jews – but something completely different. Their history begins in the 11th century, at the time of the Caliph Al-Hakim Bi-Amr Allah, the enigmatic leader of the Fatimids in Egypt. From within the Ismaili sect, a new teaching emerged, esoteric, philosophical, influenced by Platonism, Neopythagoreanism, and even Gnosticism. Thus were born the Druze – or in other words: an esoteric religion with strict circles of initiates, with a spiritual interpretation of everything, without formal places of worship or public ceremonies.
The Druze do not proselytize, do not accept new believers, and do not make their theological beliefs public. The community is divided into the "initiates" (ʿuqqāl), who know the sacred texts, and the "uninitiated" (juhhāl), who follow without research. Their holy book, Kitāb al-Hikmah, is kept out of public view, and their faith recognizes reincarnation, monotheism, and an inner moral righteousness.
Today, the Druze number about 1,5 million people worldwide, mainly in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. They are a community deeply rooted in tradition, honor and local patriotism – which is why their relationship with the state of Israel is of particular interest. Unlike other Arab minorities, Israel's Druze serve in the army, participate in all levels of state administration and – in many cases – identify themselves first as Israelis and then as Arabs.
This connection is not coincidental. Since the founding of Israel in 1948, the Druze have been relatively neutral or even positive towards the new state, seeking protection and recognition in a period of fluidity in the Middle East. Israeli governments have taken care to integrate them institutionally and invest in their loyalty to the state. It is no coincidence that there are Druze generals, members of parliament, judges, and even intelligence officers.
At the same time, the community remains sensitive: many families live on the borders with Syria and Lebanon, where relatives consider Israel an occupying enemy. This tension is often reflected in demonstrations, dilemmas and cracks within the community itself. But the dominant narrative among Israeli Druze remains: we are citizens of Israel, committed, responsible and dedicated.
The Druze are not just a minority. They are a cultural palimpsest: a blend of philosophy, ethnic identity, and historical flexibility. They live within History, not on its fringes. They walk acrobatically between silence and engagement, religious withdrawal and state participation. And this balance has allowed them to survive – and to influence even the state of Israel, which considers them almost “its own body” – in one of the most complex geopolitical landscapes on the planet.
Source: protothema.gr
