View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sam Halaby (@_sam_halaby) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sam Halaby (@_sam_halaby) The aroma of coffee mixed with cardamom wafts out of a shop selling spices Teenage girls are walking home from school others wearing traditional veils and skirts A cell phone store stands near a shop selling wooden molds for traditional pastries and the wall of graffiti has hip lettering next to a Druze man in a white keffiyeh The Druze town of Daliat el-Carmel (also spelled Daliyat al-Carmel) is what its Deputy Mayor Nisim Abu Hamad calls “a mixture of modernity based on our Druze culture and tradition.” On one end of the town is a large Druze flag with its star and five colors; the other end has a sign with the hashtag #Daliyatelcarmel Mixing the new with the old gives this Israeli Druze town its own brand Daliat el-Carmel started as a small settlement of houses on the hill in the Carmel Forest riding up the winding road through the forest are makeshift kiosks selling large “it will soon be registered as a city with our population of 18,000 people The soon-to-be city has also embarked on a renewal project Daliat el-Carmel is packed with visitors to its outdoor market that stretches along the main street People come to visit art galleries and stores and sample the cuisine an angel-hair pastry made with akawi cheese (originally named after the city of Akka topped with crushed pistachio nuts and sprinkled with rosewater There are also excellent hummus and shawarma restaurants director of business development in Daliat el-Carmel accompanied me on a walking tour along with Rabie Husese “We’re trying to be ‘glocal.’ That means we want to attract people globally while helping people locally.” The Druze number about one million worldwide and are a monotheistic offshoot of Islam but do not consider themselves Muslim There are approximately 143,000 Druze in Israel “The Druze in Israel are the most successful Druze group in the world.” They are loyal Israeli citizens The municipality is working hard to attract as many visitors as possible to Daliat el-Carmel 1,500 runners participated in an inaugural half-marathon through the city there are festivals that include performances Visitors don’t have to look hard to reach the studio of local artist Sam Halabi; they simply follow the sidewalk decorated with squares of different colors to reach the shop window “I was born after nine girls,” Halabi told ISRAEL21c “My parents didn’t stop until they got a son.” From the age of five “My mother used to send me to the local market when I was very little and I’d look at the designs on women’s traditional white Druze head scarves,” Halabi recounted “I’d come home and draw the designs and then she would sew them on her Singer sewing machine.” He has saved some of her embroidered scarves to use in one of his next art projects you see everything with vibrant colors,” he said Halabi has a display of the dining room table Havisham’s house in the novel Great Expectations where you’ll find paintings by Manar Khalifeh “I paint in acrylic and also in watercolors and I paint sketches with my left hand even though I am not left-handed,” Khalifeh said She explained that she wants to “create a connection between me and the viewer without me being present,” adding that her artwork is a way to express “my identity as a Druze woman.” Other artists with studios along the streets include Fadi Hamoudi There are also stores selling traditional Druze crafts “We’re not looking to go back in time,” said Majd Halabi at City Hall Everyone I met was proud of their heritage — and their city “I love it here and I support anything that will help advance it,” Nasreen Halabi said “And we also need to help the next generation.” who caters weddings and events in Daliat el-Carmel if she could cook for people in other places There’s always something going on,” she replied Further information on Daliyat al-Carmel can be found here The Commanding Officer of the Home Front Command recently met with heads of local authorities in the north they discussed the current situation and preparations for the future emphasizing the importance of continuous communication with the civilian sector to enhance emergency preparedness of the authorities MG Milo visited the underground center at the Rambam Hospital and the head of the Home Front Command’s medical department to strengthen medical and operational preparedness for various emergency scenarios We want to change the security reality in the north fundamentally so that we can bring the residents back home with security This week we are in a very significant offensive effort with strikes that are taking away a lot of his capabilities and resources." "This cooperation with the municipality is a force multiplier and really enables us to respond to any incident very I think the additional thing I will say is that the component that completes all this preparedness is the citizens themselves the discipline of the citizens and their adherence to the instructions and the fact that they have behaved in an exemplarily manner since the beginning of the war and we are seeing it now in recent events." '#' : location.hash;window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUQuery = location.search === '' && location.href.slice(0 location.href.length - window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash.length).indexOf('?') !== -1 '?' : location.search;if (window.history && window.history.replaceState) {var ogU = location.pathname + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUQuery + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash;history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/thousands-attend-funeral-of-senior-idf-officer-killed-in-gaza\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=zVUhSRGntWweOe4gIgw43P74F9hiWjskmNEtId7tUp0-1746533751-1.0.1.1-sPxq_upw5AWlEXRakjNc3J1suvaiRsp8y6A.BQO6VFw" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null ogU);}}document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(cpo);}()); DALIYAT AL KARMEL, IL / ACCESS Newswire / April 24, 2025 / Sheikh Dr. Rafa Halabi, a respected Druze leader from Mount Carmel, Israel, delivered an urgent message to the global community regarding a potential profound geodynamic threat that imperils the entire planet Speaking from his Residence in Daliyat al-Karmel Rafa Halabi emphasized the interconnectedness of the world and the critical need for international cooperation to address a potentially dangerous phenomenon unfolding beneath Siberia a distinguished advocate for peace and international cooperation has been honored with multiple prestigious awards and honorary doctorates for his contributions to cultural understanding and humanitarian efforts he was recognized by the Waldenburg international college for his significant impact on human history Halabi has received honorary doctorates from the Al-Hafaz Academies for Culture the Naharin International Cultural Academy where he serves as their official representative in Israel he has been named 'Person of the Year' multiple times by international organizations for his dedication to fostering peace and strengthening global communities Sheikh Dr. Rafa Halabi commended the efforts of the ALLATRA International Public Movement which has conducted extensive research and proposed feasible solutions These include safely redirecting magma and releasing underground gases in controlled ways to prevent widespread destruction and act decisively based on these findings Rafa Halabi called for the release of seven ALLATRA members detained in Russia condemning the unfair persecution of an organization dedicated to peace "...seven of our friends - participants of the ALLATRA organization - have been detained They were arrested in Russia and are now in prison facing torture and extremely harsh treatment We already face persecution even in Europe and in other countries there would be a disaster…So I'm asking Mr release those participants of our international organization who've been detained in Russia It's the organization that understands the needs of the world and recognizes the looming threats He stressed that ignoring this potential threat would have possible catastrophic global consequences surpassing geopolitical conflicts in scale and severity through the ALLATRA organization: come together There is a solution...this is the Achilles' heel of our world not just Daliyat al-Karmel or Israel - but the whole world." He reaffirmed his support for ALLATRA's efforts to inform pledging his personal commitment to raising awareness to safeguard the planet's future About the ALLATRA International Public Movement ALLATRA International Public Movement is an independent volunteer organization that conducts large-scale geodynamics The movement is known for its interdisciplinary approach to studying natural disasters and its active role in promoting international scientific cooperation ALLATRA focuses on protecting and preserving human rights and freedoms Valerie Smithvalerie@allatra.org All market data (will open in new tab) is provided by Barchart Solutions Information is provided 'as is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice. For exchange delays and terms of use, please read disclaimer (will open in new tab) DALIYAT AL KARMEL, IL / ACCESS Newswire / April 24, 2025 / Sheikh Dr. Rafa Halabi, a respected Druze leader from Mount Carmel, Israel, delivered an urgent message to the global community regarding a potential profound geodynamic threat that imperils the entire planet Sheikh Dr. Rafa Halabi commended the efforts of the ALLATRA International Public Movement \"...seven of our friends - participants of the ALLATRA organization - have been detained not just Daliyat al-Karmel or Israel - but the whole world.\" Valerie Smithvalerie@allatra.org The head of the Daliyat al-Karmel Council has announced the death of Brigade 401 Commander Colonel Ehsan Daxa commanded the 401st "Iron Tracks" Brigade He is the sixth IDF colonel to fall since the start of the war on October 7 Daxa is survived by his wife and three children bid farewell to one of their heroes." a modest person who has fought since the beginning of the war." In the battle in which Daxa was killed an officer from Battalion 52 of the 401st Brigade was severely injured He has been evacuated for medical treatment we are reminded once again of the heavy toll of this war who bear the pain and loss," Hagari said. Israel's President Isaac Herzog expressed his condolences in an X post. "Together with the entire house of Israel I received with sorrow and pain the bitter news of the fall of the 401st Brigade who fell today in the battles of Jabalya," Herzog wrote and valuable warrior - and his fall is a loss to the State of Israel and to Israeli society as a whole," Herzog added. יחד עם כל בית ישראל קיבלתי בצער וכאב את הבשורה המרה על נפילתו של מח״ט 401 צנוע וערכי - ונפילתו היא אבדה למדינת ישראל ולחברה הישראלית כולה Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Most people go to the Galilee Druze village of Daliat el-Carmel to sample ethnic cuisine or bring home bargains from the bazaar located between the bucolic wine country in Zichron Yaakov and the high-tech hub of Haifa is also rich in history that Ragaa Mansour is eager to share “This is the southernmost Druze town in the world and the largest in Israel,” says Mansour a member of the Druze sect that is based mainly in Lebanon and Syria Two years ago, Mansour opened the Carmel Center for Druze Heritage a hands-on living museum dedicated to educating visitors about the Druze people religion and culture through exhibits on dress The religion started in 11th century Egypt as an offshoot of the Islamic Ismailia Movement But even if the faith is a bit of a mystery the culture is known for its friendly openness and for its members’ loyalty to Israel The Druze have served in the Israel Defense Forces since 1956 Daliat el-Carmel has a Druze military cemetery and the Beit Yad Labanim memorial site for fallen Druze soldiers Daliat el-Carmel’s residents welcome frequent Israeli weekend travelers who come to explore the region’s cuisine and learn more about a history that also resonates with Jews and Christians for its significance in the life of the prophet Elijah “The Druze are very polite and really welcome tourists no matter if they are English-speaking German-speaking or Hebrew-speaking,” tour guide Akiva Oren tells ISRAEL21c which means “Vine of the Carmel,” was established in the 17th century by Druze émigrés from Lebanon In 2003 it merged with Usfiya to its immediate south The combined municipality is officially called Carmel but natives still distinguish between the two as their makeup is slightly different “Usfiya has 10,200 people and is about 17 percent Christian and three percent Muslim and also there are some Jewish houses,” Mansour tells ISRAEL21c The 13,000 residents of Daliat el-Carmel are virtually all Druze There are also Druze villages scattered throughout the Golan farther to the northeast by the Syrian and Lebanese borders Oren recommends exploring these villages especially on weekends when Daliat el-Carmel’s main street is crowded with traffic What many of the hordes of visitors are seeking is ethnic cuisine Mansour says staple dishes include stuffed grape leaves mansaf (lamb cooked in a sauce of fermented dried yogurt and served with rice or groats) bulgur pilaf and fresh pita sprinkled with za’atar and hummus you can get some of these goodies on the go courtesy of villagers who bake and sell pita bread at roadside stands Mansour says few people know that the poet Naphtali Herz Imber put the finishing touches on his poem “Our Hope” while working as a secretary for Sir Laurence Oliphant That poem is the basis of Israel’s national anthem an English-style mansion on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean It houses an art collection documenting the signing of Israel’s peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan This is also where the soldiers memorial is found a Carmelite Monastery on a mountain on the main road of Daliat el-Carmel was built where the Prophet Elijah is believed to have battled with the followers of the pagan god Ba’al Nearby is the cave where the Bible records that Elijah was fed by ravens while hiding from the wicked Queen Jezebel The grounds of the monastery include a grove and garden and the rooftop is a popular observation point No matter from which direction you’re driving into Daliat el-Carmel which is where last year’s devastating fire began and burned down much of the Carmel forest Oren likes to take tourists on jeep excursions in the area and it’s also possible to press olives numerous B&Bs are situated in the village and offer warm Druze hospitality Some of the residents also welcome overnight guests in their private homes The main road and the alleyways leading from it contain many old houses of worship At the end of one of these lanes is a shrine to Abu-Ibrahim who was among the first emissaries sent out by the Egyptian Fatimid Caliph Al-Hakem in 996 CE to proclaim the Druze faith Modern Druze brides and grooms come to have their picture taken in front of the arched new prayer hall adjacent to the shrine But the jewel of Daliat el-Carmel is its old marketplace in the heart of the village when many Israeli retail centers are closed for the Jewish Sabbath the bazaar boasts dozens of stores offering varied wares alongside stalls featuring locally manufactured olive oil “You can find everything here in one spot,” says Mansour “and the market also has goods imported from the East That’s why so many people come here on the weekends.” Israel : Hired to cater for an all-night Israeli music festival Rada and Raif Rashed fled for their lives just after dawn when Hamas militants rampaged through the crowd on Oct 7 turning the celebration into a place of horror The brothers saw partygoers falling around them as 250 people were killed in the surprise cross-border attack that precipitated the worst hostilities for decades in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict What I have seen I never imagined to see," Rada said when back with family in northern Israel nearly 200km (125 miles) from the festival site near Kibbutz Re'im I now have two birth dates; the original one on March 15 and the new one is on Oct Both are from Israel's Druze Arab minority a sect whose faith draws its roots from Islam and he paired up with another festival worker "We stayed there until the shooting stopped for a while." Young women at the festival "were begging Hamas members not to kill them," he said They took them by their hair and shot them in the head I will never see a day tougher than that day It is the toughest day in the history of the country." Raif ran through trees to a parked vehicle filming as he fled with the sound of gunfire in the background When he reached the vehicle he said he looked around and saw 10 militants just 50 metres away and I don't understand why it's really happening here at this time," Raif said "I called the police and asked him for help Israel says 1,400 people were killed by Hamas militants in the rampage through Israeli towns and Kibbutzes and around 240 hostages were taken many of them thought to be in captivity in Hamas's vast Gaza tunnel network which Israeli troops have begun attacking Health authorities in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip say more than 8,500 people have been killed in Israel's assault (Reporting by Leonardo Benassatto and Mustafa Abu Ganeyeh in Daliyat al-Kamel Israel; Writing by Stephen Farrell in London; Editing by Janet Lawrence) Todayonline.com and Today Online domains and apps are now part of 'Channelnewsasia.com' domain We know it's a hassle to switch browsers but we want your experience with TODAY to be fast Upgraded but still having issues? Contact us DALIYAT AL-KARMEL: Before a row of women seated in traditional Druze robes and white veils Gadeer Kamal Mreeh stands out with her black suits and high heels “We are proud of you,“ a voice cries out from the audience of women who came to hear the candidate’s political platform in her village of Daliyat al-Karmel The 35-year-old became the first Druze woman to be elected to Israel’s parliament in April but new polls were called shortly afterwards and she is hoping to win re-election in the September 17 vote Mreeh is part of the centrist Blue and White alliance led by ex-military chief Benny Gantz the main rival to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing Likud party and her 25th place on Blue and White’s electoral list gives her a strong chance to do so “It is the only way to change things,“ she told AFP in her village “It is time to send Bibi home and let Israel return to a little common sense,“ she said She points to a law passed in 2018 declaring the country the nation-state of the Jewish people which Druze and other Arab Israelis say threatens to relegate them to second-class citizens and Mreeh has made changing it her main issue “I joined politics for that reason — to bring back equality,“ said Mreeh who earlier in her career became the first non-Jewish Hebrew-language anchor on Israeli national television They serve in Israel’s military unlike other Arab Israelis who are descendants of Palestinians who remained on their land following the 1948 creation of Israel Mreeh was joined at the recent event by two other candidates from her party who are also women: retired army general Orna Barbivay and Penina Tamanu-Shata the first woman of Ethiopian origin to be elected to Israel’s parliament Mreeh calls for diversity to be valued in Israel “I’m a woman and I’m a minority member,“ said the ex-journalist and mother of two Believe me when I tell you that you can do it.” said she was especially moved by her words on equal opportunity Mreeh has also been given the blessing of the spiritual head of the Druze community in Israel Many Druze have voted for Netanyahu’s Likud in recent years but the majority opted for Gantz in the last elections a specialist in Middle Eastern history at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University He believes the vote will be similar this time “It’s mainly because of the feeling of frustration of Druze who feel betrayed by the nation-state law,“ he said He added that Mreeh’s “presence on the centrist list is undeniably a plus” Tel: +603-7784 6688      Fax: +603-7785 2625 Israel - Members of Israel's Druze minority long among the Jewish state's most loyal citizens have become increasingly concerned about the plight of their beleaguered brethren in neighboring Syria they are asking the state of Israel to help their fellow Druze next door - and some are even offering to go fight in Syria if needed Israel has been careful to stay out of the four-year-old Syrian civil war and the Syrian Druze have themselves mostly avoided involvement But after al-Qaida-linked militants earlier this month brutally killed as many as 20 Druze in what amounted to the deadliest violence against members of the small Arab sect since the Syrian conflict started in March 2011 Israel finds itself under increasing internal pressure to act That would have the extraordinary outcome of having Israel intervene on behalf of a group perceived as loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad's government The plight of Syria's Druze - and Israel's dilemma over possible involvement - adds another complicated layer to the mayhem of rapidly disintegrating Syria a mysterious sect that began as an offshoot of Shiite Islam and that managed to survive in a turbulent region by showing allegiance to their country of residence - sometimes at the cost of fighting other Druze on the battlefield And though Israeli Druze have been fiercely loyal Israelis - to a striking degree considered the century-long conflict between Israel and the Arabs - and often rise in military ranks and in politics they also worry about their brethren elsewhere "We are loyal to our country and we are loyal to our brothers," said Amir Wahabi a 38-year-old Druze from Daliyat al-Karmel a village in northern Israel where traffic circles are named after fallen Druze soldiers in the Israeli military Village streets are lined with blue-and-white Israeli flags I am willing to die to protect my brothers there," he added Israel's about 130,000 Druze live mostly in the north of the country They are also asking that Israel stop treating wounded Syrian rebels in its hospitals and instead offer medical aid to Syrian Druze and provide them with weapons and air support against the advances of al-Qaida's branch in Syria Some have even asked that the Syrian Druze be allowed into Israel by the thousands The Israeli government insists it will not allow the Druze to be massacred but has stopped short of any action Israel's strategy appears to have been that it's better to hold off as rivals next door butcher each other rather than notice Israel - a common enemy to nearly all warring factions in Syria deputy minister for regional cooperation and the highest ranking Druze in the Israeli government said Israel has broadcast behind-the-scenes messages that the Druze are not to be harmed Kara said he believes the Nusra Front's official distancing itself from the killing of Druze villagers in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib two weeks ago was a sign the warning has been received Kara insisted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is listening to him in the matter who lost two brothers in battle serving in the Israeli military insists the Druze "alliance doesn't end at the border" with Syria hundreds of thousands of others will be harmed as well And if I have to take up arms and fight there like I did as an Israeli officer I will," said Kara when I march to the (Syrian) border with thousands of supporters and they know that there is genocide taking place on the other side," he said Israeli Druze leaders say their alliance with Jews dates back long before they helped them win independence in 1948 whose tomb in northern Israel is one of their most sacred sites Many Israeli Jews have shown solidarity with the Druze although most have stopped short of calling for military intervention urged the government in an editorial to "save the Druze in Syria." a hawkish coalition lawmaker from the Jewish Home party said Israel's "mutual commitment" to the Druze supersedes the complexity of engaging in Syria and the emotional difficulty of aiding those who have been loyal to Assad and who cooperated with Israel's arch-enemy Hezbollah The Lebanese militant group is backing Assad in Syria's civil war Israeli columnist Ron Ben-Yishai said Hezbollah and its Iranian backers are using the Druze to tug on Israeli heartstrings and drag the country into the bloody battlefields of Syria "It's an absurd only the Middle East could produce," Ben-Yishai wrote Lebanon's powerful Druze leader who has sided with Syrian rebels against Assad warned last week on his Twitter feed against any Israeli intervention Perhaps those in the most complex situation are the 22,000 Druze residents of the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights They have continued to identify themselves as Syrians - even after years of Israeli rule that has seen them become fluent in Hebrew an integrated in Israeli society and the now shuttered Quneitra border crossing had served as a gateway for students attending university in the Syrian capital of Damascus brides crossing over to marry fellow Druze - even a route for the annual apple exports But few of the Golan Druze have taken Israeli citizenship - an option they were offered after Israel annexed the territory in 1981 - and have mostly backed Assad's government Separated relatives have traditionally congregated at the "Shouting Valley" between Israel and Syria where they talk to each other through megaphones An old joke says those on the Israeli side complain to their cousins about how awful life is in Israel while those in Syria tout how great it is with Assad - and both sides know they are both lying But the recent Syrian Druze deaths have stirred anger mixed with concern and a new realization that their future looks better with Israel a 45-year-old Druze from the border town of Magdal Shams said it was in Israel's strategic interest to support the 700,000 Syrian Druze And just as Israel has a moral obligation to aid Jews in distress around the world it has the same responsibility toward the kin of its own loyal Druze population "We will not leave our people behind to be slaughtered."