'#' : 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\/druze-soldiers-mourned-at-hurfeish-ceremony-on-memorial-day\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=PkuEPqYra_IFfwWpU3Ay3gWP4wIUAspqDHD9LgtZvms-1746508937-1.0.1.1-xjzh7X14.XHJbH0aJTBkQYQg6ED74anOc43iUBKujZU" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null ogU);}}document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(cpo);}()); "\/liveblog_entry\/idf-to-test-warning-sirens-in-northern-town-of-hurfeish\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=5nLtf10BNmX_NBlAhGNIMQ2Gu8y50VwUnFHkFjfauwg-1746508942-1.0.1.1-xvmwWiP5ljOKNRD4HHGc3vrxs4b2KPy3TmRjie48BT0" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null said the Druze people would not leave their homes in northern Israel but would stay and prepare to defend themselves in any way Israel – There was a constant flow of traffic on Route 89 the central road running through the Druze village of Hurfeish in northern Israel and all the tables inside Sambousak HaErez were full of diners on a sunny weekday lunch hour last week Hurfeish’s northernmost point is less than a mile from Israel’s border with Lebanon where the Iranian-backed Islamist Shiite group Hezbollah has been firing mortars rockets and killer drones into Israel almost daily since Hamas’ Oct there were few signs of the shadow of this war Children disembarked from a school bus outside Sambousak HaErez A muscle-bound father in a shirt with the name of his IDF unit sat with his two young children at one table four men in their 20s and 30s smoked at another table outside; and two middle-aged men held a meeting with a laptop between them Iyad (who did not want to give his last name) pushed pitas into a traditional Druze taboon oven and then scooped labneh yogurt spread drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with za’atar spice mix The lively scene in Hurfeish sharply contrasted with every other kibbutz and moshav in the area all of which were evacuated in the chaotic days following Oct Members of Israel’s Druze community decided to remain in their homes The Druze — a monotheistic religion that incorporates elements of all Abrahamic religions and several other philosophies — live in villages dotting northern Israel from the Mediterranean coast across the Galilee Valley and up to the Golan Heights according to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics They have had a presence in the region for a thousand years and related communities are also found in Lebanon Druze swear allegiance to the country in which they reside While they make up just 1.5% of Israel’s total population an overwhelming 83% of Druze men enlist in the army Druze account for roughly 5% of the IDF’s soldiers as well as 20% of its prison guards and 6.5% of its police officers about 10% of the residents have been on IDF reserve duty since the war started in addition to the large numbers of career officers who serve permanently in the IDF the Internal Intelligence Agency and other security branches.  “Our religion says we have to defend our land,” Osama “Parents with children in the army can’t sleep My parents and grandparents watch the news all day; there’s bad energy in the home.” but none have fallen in the village,” he added showing a photo on his phone of his cousin’s factory abutting Hurfeish destroyed by an anti-tank missile launched from Lebanon as diners ate their savory pastries and pitas news outlets and the Red Alert app flashed the names of a nearby kibbutz and one village after another within range of Hezbollah’s anti-tank missile and rocket fire In the not-so-far distance there was a sudden muffled boom.  meaning Israel was shooting down Hezbollah’s projectiles.  a natural barrier between Hurfeish and Hezbollah’s anti-tank missiles also reported hearing the sounds of digging pointing out that the IDF blew up several cross-border tunnels dug by Hezbollah in 2019.  children and the elderly will evacuate,” he said But you can’t live in fear all the time… Life is mostly normal.”  But there are some signs of war in Hurfeish which in peace times is heavily reliant on tourists there used to be a line out the door and a wait for over an hour,” Osama said of life pre-Oct busy baking pitas and manning the cash register confirmed that before the war there had been long lines on the weekends no one comes here for two or three days,” he said.  “The money will come back,” Osama concurred “But there were already two soldiers from our village who were killed.”  Shanan served two brief stints as a member of Knesset for the Labor party and in then-Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s breakaway party.  He lives in an old stone house with looming archways In one of the oldest sections in the house is the “Kamil Shanan Center for Values,” in memory of his son a police officer shot by a Palestinian terrorist while on duty on the Temple Mount in 2017 The walls are covered with photographs of Kamil Shanan gives lectures on patriotism and Druze contributions to Israel to Jewish groups of soldiers and police officers “We believe that Israel is the best place in the world today to be Druze,” he said contrasting his community’s situation to their coreligionists in Lebanon “Israel is also the best place in the world to be a Jew Not even America is the best place.” “We have a partnership of coexistence,” he continued “It is not just an alliance of blood It is the country of my son of blessed memory and of my living son and of my parents and grandchildren.” and a concern that Hezbollah would cross the border “I know people who slept with their gun under their pillow and even knives in case something happened,” he said When the IDF’s Home Front Command began evacuating towns on the border with Lebanon “the village elders said we absolutely will not leave our homes We will stay and fight if we need to… We will defend our land The village of Hurfeish has existed for nearly a millennium Shanan said he can name ancestors who lived in the village going back eight generations “It’s not just a saying that we are willing to die for our land,” the former politician said “I say this as a bereaved father who lost his son seven years ago on the Temple Mount.” A statement from the Sheikh’s office this week emphasized to JI that staying put was “ important to transmit strength towards the enemies that seek to harm us.” residents have continued to live and maintain their usual routine despite the difficult security situation and its impact on the standard of living It also highlighted that two young men from the town had been killed in the seven-month-old war.Residents of Hurfeish and other Druze towns have increased their support for the IDF soldiers now stationed in the north and have opened their hearts and homes to them The IDF provided the local security team with additional weapons as well as IDF soldiers who are based in the village to protect the residents The children of Hurfeish know how to differentiate between the sound of a missile landing – an attack by Hezbollah – and the IDF’s artillery launching Shanan pointed out that missiles have fallen on Mount Meron five kilometers (three miles) from Hurfeish the kibbutz after Hurfeish on Route 89 “is almost entirely destroyed,” he said up until now” – Shanan knocked on his coffee table – “tfu tfu.”  Most homes in Hurfeish don’t have safe rooms when Israeli law was changed to require all homes and apartments to have a reinforced safe room to protect from rockets because “it was built before the establishment of the state – look how thick the walls are.”  Shanan seemed tired of cliches about the Druze and emphasized their normalcy “We’re not the heroes of Masada; we’re normal people and fear is part of our feelings “And there were arguments in the homes between those who agreed with the decision [not to evacuate] and those who accepted it “Women were more likely to want to leave ‘I am not interested in being raped like the women by the Gaza border,'” Shanan added And they have regular politics: “We didn’t evacuate we don’t cost the government anything… But we petitioned the High Court that those who were harmed economically should receive damages Recently the government started paying; it has more or less worked out.” Shanan said he believes the decision to stay in Hurfeish was “very right.”  We saw what happened to those who left; we are in contact with our neighbors in the kibbutzim and the moshavim,” he said “Everyone left except for the security teams My personal friend [former cabinet minister] Shalom Simhon goes up to Even Menachem to take care of his chicken coop with his legs shaking… Those who evacuated are suffering… It’s not easy to live in a small hotel room with no kitchen but the evacuation was destructive,” Shanan said Copyright © 2025 · All Rights Reserved · Jewish Insider The politics and business news you need to stay up to date delivered each morning in a must-read newsletter Enter your email to gain access to our exclusive contentDon’t worry if you are already subscribed you won’t receive our newsletters twice Sheikh Kasem Bader | Photo: JINI/Ayal Margolin The exact distance between the Lebanese border and the Druze village of Hurfeish is a matter of dispute and its approximately 7,000 residents find themselves directly in the line of fire – refusing to evacuate yet wishing for some form of compensation for their lost livelihoods and their role in safeguarding the Galilee region in the face of the enemy forces it seems implausible that the village is situated less than three kilometers from the Lebanese border and life appears to be proceeding as usual The majority of nearby settlements have been evacuated yet the residents of Hurfeish have remained in their homes the village bears the semblance of a tortoise: to the south of the carapace is the busy Highway 89 with homes built on either side of this protective carapace a restaurant whose signage promises authentic Druze cuisine it is disheartening to witness the tables standing nearly bereft of visitors someone might enter to order the signature Druze pita or stuffed grape leaves "It's not usually like this," the owner of the restaurant We arrange tables outdoors to accommodate them." who was killed in an encounter with Hezbollah terrorists who had infiltrated Israel from Lebanon The squares of the village are adorned with his images and those of other fallen soldiers from the neighboring villages underscoring the narrative of this village: a 400-year-old Druze settlement that has never been evacuated and it appears as though no force can subdue its resilience "The entire regional economy is predicated upon the structural configuration of the village," Waleed says Businesses here are based on the travelers who pause during their journey to make purchases we have grown accustomed to seeing [IDF] tanks everywhere and the sounds of interceptions [of missiles]." "Our village has a quasi-religious committee," Wasim explained prefer that any individual capable of defending the village remain The family's business is but one of many that has been struggling due to the war numerous businesses have continued functioning "We are doing relatively well," Waleed says a jeep with the civilian security team passes by The Druze constitute approximately 1.5% of Israel's total population Their involvement in the security forces remains high even after completing their service: 20% of Israel Prison Service officers hail from this community as do approximately 6.5% of Israel Police officers we sometimes perceive ourselves as second-class citizens We still serve in the army and do reserve duty willingly we anticipate a degree of recognition from the state The community will soon commemorate the Druze holiday of Ziyarat al-Nabi Shu'ayb: The Druze regard themselves as descendants of Moses' father-in-law they have endured difficulties stemming from their faith "There are Druze communities even in South America," Waleed says they have consistently been persecuted for adhering to a distinct religion." is that the Druze will never possess an independent state: they have perpetually advocated for integration they've toed the line with the regime to allow them to practice their customs it appears that this perspective has proved counterproductive rendering them a population susceptible to exploitation or disregard In the vicinity of the local council building Seventy-three years old and a father of six he agrees to give me a brief tour of the area "We are on the front line," he says as we walk to a vantage point on Mount Adir "This front is subjected to shelling day and night We have had numerous contentious discussions about this with the Home Front Command each side perceives the border differently They determined that residents of villages within two kilometers [1.2 miles] of the border should be evacuated so we conducted an aerial measurement from the outermost line of houses in the village which yielded a distance of 2.3 kilometers state measures are according to the international border they say that we are four kilometers from the border we find ourselves outside the evacuation area." lack the financial means to independently finance an evacuation Approximately 7,000 residents remain in danger The majority rely on an economy centered around bed-and-breakfasts Even our photographer wondered whether it would be safe to go to the lookout point and when we arrived I understood why he was hesitant The path to our destination is laid with rocket debris Some of the traffic signs on the way have been destroyed This location is under fire from all directions one can discern Lebanese villages including Maroun El Ras "Observe the distance from here," Khairaldin tells us "and you will see how much we are in the line of fire and the soldiers stationed there are under constant bombardment there have been no direct hits in Hurfeish but that is solely due to our luck and the topographic structure – this mountain serves as a protective layer between Lebanon and our village it's not like it's an impregnable defense that cannot be circumvented." Not all the homes in the village have bomb shelters People stay in their unprotected homes even when sirens blare I go up to the third floor of my home and check where the missile landed." there's also concern about a ground invasion Hurfeish stretches over a wide area without a fence and defending it requires the residents to have quite a few patrol forces When asked whether he felt his village was abandoned Not just because of the [authorities'] decision not to evacuate but a general feeling that accompanies us regarding the lack of budgets and project funding and it's frustrating to think that's how it is Our enlistment rates are among the highest in the country There's an active or reserve soldier in almost every household And if my residents despair from living here A lot of people who come here call us brothers in arms I feel like we've been left to our own devices." The farmers from the village are simply afraid to come and tend to it the commander of the civilian security team and tried to clarify with him how to defend such a wide village "Hurfeish is not a regular village in terms of defense," he confirmed and the houses of the village are spread out Sharaf shared the frustration that the heavy responsibility falls solely on their shoulders "No one helps us with defense or otherwise the state should thank us for not evacuating The village opened its gates to all the units Business owners who relied on catering and food have gone bankrupt but they still insisted on feeding the soldiers here." maybe the women and children will evacuate Even in terms of preparedness for difficult times a Druze home is different from a Jewish home Every Druze home has a pantry and survival equipment and food for long periods In my conversations with the people of the village I mostly encountered cautious optimism until I met the incoming council chairman there are several clans and each time a different one manages to have a council head elected Anwar is relatively young compared to his predecessors moving from meeting to meeting almost non-stop but I managed to chat with him after a long tour of the schools "I heard from the teachers about the situation," he told me I don't have anything I can do with the population and now we don't even know what to do anymore "There's a government decision on evacuation All night we hear interceptions and air activity The mental state of the people is very difficult There's a lot of mental pressure on the children no one will be left on the northern border." his constituents take pride in their resilience but he fears they might not be seeig reality clearly children under tremendous mental pressure in schools There are elderly people living in the old part of the village There are houses here that aren't fortified at all We've asked the Home Front Command to budget us money to build shelters for everyone to do independent construction "Some 1,300 soldiers have been staying here in the last two months and today we're in a very difficult situation the government needs to take care of us in the north Take care of those who haven't been evacuated." Q: Do the residents want to evacuate at all "There are people who want to evacuate and there are people who will never evacuate But the prevailing opinion is that we need routine people are under financial pressure and they're coming to me There are people who were left with debts from this war." Amr was careful not to play the discrimination card "The treatment of Jewish villages is similar," he said Sheikh Kasem Bader is a sophisticated and pleasant Druze leader He welcomed me into a room with a table laden with local Druze sweets he has been the president of the Universal Peace Council – an organization he had founded nine years earlier in Canada with the aim of "bridging religions and people," he explained in a slow "This organization is waging an ideological battle against those who spread hatred I think most wars in the world are the product of hate-mongers who come in the name of religion and misinterpret it Our organization focuses on youth because I believe the only way to change reality is to raise a new generation." One can learn a lot about the Druze community from Bader's interpretation of reality "It was meant to be the safest place for us How did it become the most cruel place in the world We must not forget that there are nearly a thousand Christians in the Gaza Strip We both oppose innocent people paying the price." Q: How do you continue to promote peace when you're under attack "The Druze do not have an independent state The Druze in Syria are paying the price of Syrian politics The fate of the Druze is that they will always have to contend with the reality they find themselves in I will leave this temporary mission at the time and place that depend on the Creator of the Universe Death is a station in life that we all must reach and therefore people here will never leave This connects to our culture and belief that death is out of our control and is predetermined in any case." How do you help people here who don't have money to live The villages in the area also support each other The people of Hurfeish have not received compensation from the state and some of them have fallen into economic distress The village consists of several clans that know how to support themselves." Q: How do you try to influence the situation since the outbreak of the war "I've met with the families of the hostages I also have connections in Gaza with some of the leaders They're not happy with everything that happened Hamas is a group of people who simply came and ruined the area." his son-in-law who serves in the civilian security team we were called up for reserve duty," he recounted But we're people who make do – everyone brought something for the other People in the village who had served in elite units came to train us on their own time A Jewish friend told me that if terrorists were to enter a Druze village There's no such thing as kidnapping and escaping there was a case where ISIS entered Druze villages they managed to murder two hundred people unfortunately but one of them said he didn't know how people gathered within an hour and drove them crazy I slept in one of the empty guest units in the village but the night was surprisingly quieter than expected I woke up to a breathtaking view in deep shades of green I spent a full day within spitting distance of the border and didn't feel scared for even a moment Perhaps because the IDF had recently withdrawn from Khan Younis and an unofficial ceasefire of several days had emerged in the north but perhaps it's the atmosphere that the residents of the village impart on any visitor It seems the Druze simply know how to better cope with the unknown and something about that optimistic feeling rubs off on their guests as well "I know there's a lot of responsibility on me In an exclusive interview with Israel Hayom the American commentator discusses US-Israel relations Greta searched tirelessly for her brother Walter A man she knew said he had seen him during.. Analysis  Archaeology Blogpost Business & Finance Culture Exclusive Explainer Environment Features Health In Brief Jewish World Judea and Samaria Lifestyle Cyber & Internet Sports Diplomacy  Iran & The Gulf Gaza Strip Politics Shopping Terms of use Privacy Policy Submissions Contact Us The first issue of Israel Hayom appeared on July 30 Israel Hayom was founded on the belief that the Israeli public deserves better more balanced and more accurate journalism [contact-form-7 id=”508379″ html_id=”isrh_form_Newsletter_en” title=”newsletter_subscribe”] You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed "\/liveblog_entry\/hezbollah-takes-responsibility-for-attack-on-northern-town-of-hurfeish\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=pv8bqt7jT0PV6bpAe_wceUm45kqyJeLepF0kXtlfhpc-1746508981-1.0.1.1-BZlbBsasauUD.nO3QLm83vo3eEz78lRLlBbcV9KcMwU" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null At least 11 people were wounded by a direct hit in the area of Hurfeish in the Upper Galilee on Wednesday ראשוני: פצועים מנפילה במגרש כדורגל בחורפיש, לא הופעלה התרעה - כוחות רבים בדרך לזירה@_Gitsis_ pic.twitter.com/LkGm9IXuOM it appears that the attack was carried out by a Hezbollah drone with drones having given Israeli air defense much more trouble than rockets Reports said that the impact was on a soccer field and at least one person was critically wounded The IDF destroyed a large tunnel in Rafah that reached the Philadelphi corridor and destroyed ready-to-fire rocket launchers that were hidden in a UN post in Deir al-Balah targeted operations in the Rafah area for the past few weeks under the command of the 162nd Division Israel is phasing out the use of a military-run detention camp for Palestinians captured during the Gaza war where rights groups say there has been abuse of inmates State attorneys told the Supreme Court that inmates held at the Sde Teiman site 7 massacre on southern Israel that sparked the war in Gaza would be gradually transported to permanent holding facilities The transfers have started and most prisoners would be relocated within a couple of weeks This would allow conditions to improve in the meantime The Hezbollah terror organization said on Wednesday it had targeted Israel's Iron Dome air-defense system in Ramot Naftali with a guided missile The ceremony of the creation of the new Lotar elite unit entitled “Lotar Otef,” took place earlier this week, the IDF announced on Wednesday The unit was created in the aftermath of and in response to the October 7 massacre The purpose of this Lotar unit is to grant a quick response to terror attacks in the area of the Gaza border communities and is part of the military’s attempts at improving the security of the communities.  The Unit will be composed of IDF reservists and those who have served in elite units who live in the Gaza border communities area and will be trained for operations in the area.  The IDF on Wednesday announced that it will start presenting its probes related to Hamas’s October 7 invasion and the following and ongoing Gaza war on a rolling basis during the months of July and August Aspects of a major probe on the IDF and defense establishment’s general national security and defense concept related to Gaza and Hamas over the years will be presented by key officers to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi already in early July but will only be publicized to the public later in the summer after they are integrated with other issues This probe will look all the way back to 2018 More than 36,586 Palestinians have been killed and 83,074 have been wounded in the Gaza war since Oct the Hamas-run health ministry said in a statement on Wednesday The military unveiled a new Lotar elite unit entitled “Lotar Otef" which is set to improve the defense of the Gaza border communities Netanyahu says Israel is prepared for action in North while on visit to Kiryat Shmona on Wednesday "\/as-hezbollah-lobs-rockets-from-lebanon-druze-forager-continues-traditional-fungi-hunt\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=SgRg9f9GGtFxVgYVJ6tysPEOD6YynKp8vDM69RTwcdw-1746509021-1.0.1.1-rp3kCVjYRhMWSJuD3MLLJZw0yRLu6ASbSW_SfaJKPJg" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/minister-says-israel-will-make-sure-that-nobody-hurts-the-druze-in-syria\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=C8_izcbqsqGRGSVX6v2YOWrAVInTlWYI7ckrf3ZOZjk-1746509027-1.0.1.1-2ofIGFAzJyy3ZnAsuzJ4Imww7XHaBvOfigwuS3CrTQI" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/soldier-killed-in-yesterdays-hezbollah-drone-attack-on-northern-israel-army-announces\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=n7gJJs77fFthbiy4lI6he3IAiD01hDs4HFF8nenaL2M-1746509049-1.0.1.1-wcuXMXKH.53zhwlZCDitBAY3Z6vO9YM3vKC_hgNadLQ" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null As Israel braces for the potential bombardment threatened by the Hezbollah terrorist organization in retaliation for the targeted killings of two terrorist leaders attention has been sharply focused on preparedness for a possible attack While most Israelis have access to a safety shelter either inside or near their homes those caught without a safe place to weather the promised onslaught have made their needs known In particular, the lack of proper shelters in Druze communities was highlighted after the Hezbollah missile attack on Majdal Shams killed 12 children playing soccer Christians rushed to help meet the needs that suddenly arose as thousands of IDF reservists were called up in the wake of Oct and now the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) is coordinating an initiative for those who want to assist once again ICEJ is coordinating an emergency drive to provide safety shelters and other means to protect vulnerable northern Israeli communities near the Lebanese border the organization gives the example of a mixed Druze and Christian village named Hurfeish located 2.5 miles from the border with Lebanon “Although its inhabitants are all Arabs, Hurfeish has repeatedly been in Hezbollah’s direct line of fire, with residents only having seconds to seek shelter,” explained Laurina Driesse of the ICEJ The organization has provided shelters in this area in the past “In a wonderful gesture by the manufacturer the mural artist Elyasaf is painting beautiful imagery on these shelters to uplift the surroundings "The local Druze community is extremely loyal to Israel and requested that both the Druze and Israeli flags be painted on the shelters The shelters will be strategically placed in locations where civilians are most vulnerable In recent years the ICEJ has supplied over 50 portable bomb shelters to vulnerable communities near Israel’s northern border and has also renovated more than 200 existing underground shelters the organization has added 17 new bomb shelters in the North and upgraded 10 more underground shelters in the Mateh Asher region provide crucial safety and refuge for residents during times of need Click here to learn more about how to support this ICEJ project Jo Elizabeth has a great interest in politics and cultural developments studying Social Policy for her first degree and gaining a Masters in Jewish Philosophy from Haifa University but she loves to write about the Bible and its primary subject Jo spends her time between the UK and Jerusalem Israeli soldiers are seen in the Druze village of Hurfeish Israel's General of the Northern Command Ori Gordin said Thursday that the deployment for a major offensive against Hezbollah has been "completed." (Ayal Margolin/JINI via Xinhua) June 6 (Xinhua) -- Israel's General of the Northern Command Ori Gordin announced on Thursday that the deployment for an offensive against Hezbollah along the Israel-Lebanon border has been "completed," adding that the army's mission is "returning security to northern Israel." ■ An Israeli soldier is seen in the Druze village of Hurfeish Site developed by     Copyright © Yedioth Internet is the Surgeon General of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Bader is the first Israeli Druze to occupy this office Bader graduated from the medical school of Ben-Gurion University in 1993 and completed his pediatrics residency in 2004 at the Western Galilee Hospital in Naharriya Having served in the IDF Medical Corps since 1993 he has commanded and overseen humanitarian missions in Haiti Bader earned his Master of Health Administration degree from Ben-Gurion University in 2006 and his Master in National Security from Haifa University in 2017 he served as Deputy Director General of the Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera He was promoted to Colonel in 2011 when he became the Head of the Northern Medical Command of the IDF Bader was promoted to Brigadier General and since August 2017 serves as the Surgeon General of the Israel Defense Forces Bader is a professor and lecturer of military medicine at Hebrew University in Jerusalem Please login to leave a comment CJP welcomes the participation of interfaith couples and families Powered by FEDWEB ® Central Privacy Policy Terms of Use Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Ever since it became clear that Israel’s ground attack on Gaza would be unprecedented and carry on for months without end, the region has been acutely aware of the risk of the conflict spreading like wildfire to the Lebanese border Firefighters on Tuesday battled flames around Kiryat Shmona, brushfires set off by a volley of drones and missiles fired by Hezbollah The undeclared war in the north between Hezbollah and the Israeli army has been intensifying with each side trading heavier blows across an ever-widening area Israel targeted senior Hezbollah commanders deep in the Beqaa valley Hezbollah demonstrated that its rocket force is qualitatively different from Hamas’s arsenal On Saturday, for the first time, Hezbollah launched its heavy Burkan rockets at a military base close to Kiryat Shmona The rockets have a short range but carry warheads with hundreds of kilograms of explosives the headquarters of the Israeli army’s 769th brigade Hezbollah shot down a large surveillance drone giving Israel a taste of its estimated armoury of 130,000 rockets and missiles Hezbollah has already demonstrated its ability to launch missiles that fly under Israel’s Iron Dome it released a video showing it had struck an Iron Dome battery Hezbollah wounded killed one Israeli and wounded 10 others on Wednesday in a kamikaze drone strike on Hurfeish pressure is building inside Israel concerning the 60,000 Israelis evacuated in October from homes within a three-mile range of the Lebanese border The cross-border jousts have created a string of “ghost” towns and settlements Agriculture still functions and the region produces most of Israel’s eggs Most public services are suspended and the schools are closed With the new school year approaching in September some former residents are buying or renting new homes There is a growing fear that the northern border could remain uninhabitable for years This generation of Israeli Jews is getting a taste of the Palestinian experience of being exiled in their own country a former Israeli national security adviser said Israel should announce a date within the next few months for displaced Israeli civilians to return and challenge Hezbollah to scale back its shelling or face all-out war "Israelis cannot be in exile in their own country It is the responsibility of the IDF to defend civilians It is what we failed to do on 7 October," he said we are prepared to move towards an attack in the north,” Herzi Halevi There is a difference in how Israel perceives Hamas and Hezbollah with supporters and potential recruits in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem while Hezbollah remains an external threat the rationale behind a war aimed at dismantling Hamas in Gaza applies even more to Hezbollah If Israel cannot live with neighbours powerful enough to mount a second raid like that of 7 October then a full-blown war is not a matter of when For all the powerful winds fanning the flames along the border there are - or should be - equally strong disincentives If the might of the Israeli army failed to crush Hamas after eight months on flat terrain what prospect would it have with the highly armed and trained Hezbollah force fighting in mountain ranges Another war in Lebanon would consume a significant quantity of guided bombs and missiles It has already nearly run out of bombs once this year General Charles Q Brown,  stated that though the United States has “been supporting [Israel] with capability they've not received everything they've asked for” because Israel requested weapons that they “either don’t have the capacity [for] or [are] not willing to provide Brown’s logic would apply just as much to opening a second front in Lebanon which America has clearly and repeatedly stated it does not want Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would need not only US President Joe Biden’s permission Netanyahu would need to secure some kind of temporary ceasefire in Gaza to open a second front in Lebanon But here comes the third major obstacle: while Israel may have a trigger-happy prime minister who needs a war for his political survival it also has a populace that is tired of war there remains widespread support for continuing the war in Gaza There are anecdotal reports of Israelis not showing up for duty as reservists They are by no means conscientious objectors but there is also an element of dissent implied in their no-shows They don’t see an end to a state of perpetual war People don’t show up and the authorities look the other way A war in Lebanon would not be a short affair and its consequences would be felt in Israel to a far greater extent than the war in Gaza Hezbollah has the capability to strike power stations across Israel close Ben Gurion airport and maybe even hit the Israeli army’s headquarters in central Tel Aviv Such a war would severely damage an already fragile economy While it took only a few months to recover after 7 October 2023 a war that sends everyone from Haifa to Tel Aviv into air raid shelters would have a vastly different impact would be shut down or forced to relocate offshore we are already living in an extremely volatile situation By laying out a second ceasefire offer to Hamas and presenting it as Israel’s offer Biden exposed Netanyahu’s lies in a very clear and brutal fashion The offer is so sensitive that even Itamar Ben Gvir cannot be shown it avoiding military service is coming to a head The High Court is expected to rule soon that the Haredim must either be available for military service or the government must stop funding students in their yeshivas As the current coalition relies on the votes of two parties representing the Haredim such a ruling would probably lead to the fall of the government The far right is ready to pull out of the government Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich claims to get his orders and inspiration from God caring little about his declining poll ratings He prays for a miracle that will allow the right wing to win the next election is a younger politician who senses that power is within his reach but each time he grows stronger politically and gets closer to his ultimate goal Ben Gvir is ready to lose the next election as long as it means the end of Netanyahu’s political career Ben Gvir could lead a coalition of the far right and a good portion of Likud positioning himself to run for power in the election after that especially the younger generation of voters see Ben Gvir as a prime minister in waiting Netanyahu’s room for manoeuvre is narrowing Copyright © 2014 - 2025. Middle East Eye Only England and Wales jurisdiction apply in all legal matters Middle East Eye          ISSN 2634-2456                      Inside a single-room stone house in the village of Hurfeish wearing dresses or long skirts and blouses with transparent white veils draped over their heads which most learned from their mothers and grandmothers have for centuries been the pastime for women in the Druze community a Unitarian offshoot of Islam developed in 11th-century Egypt and now practiced by about one million people scattered throughout the Middle East these women are using this handwork to ensure their future They sit here today as part of a cooperative making products not only for their community It is the first time many of them are earning their own money similar to the one that covered her dark hair Fares is among a growing number of women in Israel’s mountainous and isolated Druze villages that are beginning to open their craft circles They – along with other local women offering in-home meals and cooking workshops – are often helped by public grants and courses in entrepreneurship as the government wants to increase employment among Arabic-speaking minorities but allows visitors more intimate encounters with the Druze travellers have only been able to experience the culture through the eyes of men who are often the proprietors of restaurants and the few other public places in the villages Since the Druze do not grant outsiders access to the details of their theology or to their holy books – a doctrine of secretiveness that comes from many years of religious persecution – entering these women’s work and living spaces gives insight into their lives as well as a window into the social changes that are rippling through many communities of Israel’s Arabic-speaking minorities never worked outside the home and doesn’t leave the village on her own her daughter has earned a university degree and works in education This stark contrast is the reality for many families in this village of about 6,000 people it has become standard for young Druze women to attend university drive to work and abandon traditional dress as this group and other Arabic-speaking minorities in Israel integrate further into the economy These young women are doing what men from these villages did decades earlier “But all of that started when I was too old.” There is nothing in the Druze religious texts that says women shouldn’t work professor of gender studies at Arab Academic College of Haifa who was the first Druze woman in Israel to earn a doctorate the Druze religious leadership told women they shouldn’t study or go out of their villages.” She explained this was a method of control and a way to try and preserve traditions “The leadership said the women needed to be home.” as more women went out anyway to work and study but social norms have been slower to change explained the cooperative’s coordinator Afaf Genem having gone to university and now working for the regional council whenever Genem has encountered criticism about encouraging women to work she has gone to the village’s religious authorities But many women still prefer to stay in the village showing me their crafts and offering me cheese-filled pastries and cold juice partly shaded by fig and pomegranate trees told me she joined the cooperative more for social reasons than for money “I like to sit here together with these women,” said Nahila Coming here allows her to talk about those changes like how to deal with children who no longer practice the religion This is something that worries many of these women because Druze tradition says that only the religiously observant are allowed full access to their holy books As more Druze abandon study of religious texts the number of people with knowledge about their tradition is disappearing it depends,” said co-operative member Safaa Husi adding that now that local girls see tourists buying these things “It used to be that this handiwork was invisible – the women would do their hobby and put it in the closet At first they didn’t believe that people from Tel Aviv would come here and buy their products If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter, called “If You Only Read 6 Things This Week”. 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Days after Jihadi insurgents in Syria slaughtered at least 20 Druze citizens not far from Israel’s border in mid-June waving the bright rainbow flag of their religious sect along with other Israeli members of their sect collected some $2.6 million in emergency funds to support their beleaguered kin But these Druze — residents of the locality with the highest per capita concentration of military and police officers in the country according to former Hurfeish Mayor Rekad Kheredin — also had a demand for their government They say that Jerusalem has a special obligation to defend the Druze because almost all of the males among the country’s more than 130,000 Druze defend Israel as part of the army It is a demand now being pressed widely by Israeli Druze throughout the country “What’s happening in Syria – their pain is our pain,” said Sheikh Youssef Badr said she and her husband donated nearly $200 to the Druze of Syria even though it was a strain to scrape the funds together from her school cleaner’s salary “If I had more money I would give more,” Amr said “Israel needs to intervene immediately in Syria from the massacre happening there.” The Druze religion is a 10th-century offshoot of Shiite Islam and adheres to tenets and teachings whose esoteric core is kept secret even from many of its rank-and-file followers beyond the priesthood; its followers live in Israel Druze swear allegiance to the government and serve in its armed forces Yet the deterioration of Bashar al-Assad’s regime has left Druze communities vulnerable to attack by violent Islamist groups who see the Druze as infidels and as enemy soldiers was committed by members of the Nusra Front a Sunni Muslim Syrian offshoot of Al-Qaeda saying it had received news of them with “great sorrow.” The statement acknowledged that “a number of Nusra Front members” had taken part in them “Everyone involved in this incident will be presented to a sharia court and held to account for blood proven to have been spilt,” the Nusra Front statement said Observers and analysts in the region saw the statement as part of a recent effort by the Nusra Front to reach out to other groups and win their cooperation setting it apart from the insurgent force known as the Islamic State which has been ruthless in eliminating rival sects and organizations Druze community leaders are not mollified by the front’s statement they fear the possible encroachment of advancing Islamic State forces on their villages in Syria’s Idlib province even more Druze Zionist Council head Atta Farhat appealed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon about the situation in terms that Israeli Jews were likely to find especially hard to ignore “Non-involvement in Syria will result in a Druze holocaust under our very noses, and who, more than Israel, knows what a holocaust and genocide is?” he wrote in a letter to the officials, according to Channel 10 But last year, persistent reports contended that Israel has actually been rendering quiet assistance to the rebel forces on its border for reasons of realpolitik — including to the Nusra Front The disclosures led a group of Israeli Druze involved in humanitarian assistance to their Syrian brethren to release a statement in November asserting it has become a fact that Israel supports all factions fighting the Syrian regime and supplies them with weapons and takes in the wounded of all factions….We call on members of the Druze sect to act severely toward Israel’s policy.” In February of this year, a group of Druze residents of the Golan Heights, near Israel’s border with Syria, were arrested on charges of passing information to the Syrian government regarding Israeli military activity on the border that ended up on a Syrian television news broadcast. In the broadcast Sedki al Maket reported on a meeting he said he saw taking place between Israeli military officers and Nusra militants on the border Analysts say Syria’s dependence for support on Iran is leading Israeli military strategists to view the insurgents as a useful counterweight despite their extremist nature and terrorist connections most of the 20,000 Druze in the Golan Heights hold Syrian citizenship Israel seized the territory from Syria in the 1967 Six Day War and later applied Israeli law to the area but it is still regarded as occupied by the international community said he was in touch every day with family and acquaintances in the Druze areas of Syria Kara said he was planning a visit to Turkey to work out a refugee escape route from Syria for the Syrian Druze said he had spoken with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the Druze of Syria and felt optimistic “Israel is not part of this conflict,” Kara said “They do not need to do anything to make the Syria area any hotter But I – as a guy from the Druze nation – I will do everything to support my nation.” Israeli Druze feel a special license to ask for help from the state because they serve in the army the Druze have enlisted in the universal Israeli draft They are the only non-Jewish group to fully participate in the Israeli army; as of 2012 Aml Kheraldeen spent 13 years in the army as a border guard and a soldier with the Golani Brigade He showed a reporter a memorial hall devoted to Israel’s first Druze paratrooper Kheraldeen pointed to the ceramic vest Mar’i wore the day he died (a bullet penetrated the seam of the fabric) as well as the soldier’s extensive fountain pen collection “I wanted to show you how much we sacrifice for this country “And I expect some reciprocity toward the Druze We cannot have a genocide there and Israel will not intervene.” he would continue to support Druze army service in Israel an international terrorism expert at the Institute for National Security Studies said he doubted calls for Israel to intervene in Syria would yield fruit beyond some symbolic or humanitarian aid that Israel will go into this hornet’s nest and take the risk of being dragged into the conflict,” Schweitzer said “This is the policy of Israel and I don’t think the Druze can change it.” In response to pleas by Kara and others, Netanyahu did appeal to General Martin Dempsey who was then on an official visit to Israel President Reuven Rivlin also reportedly told the general there is a “threat to the very existence of half a million Druze on the Mount of Druze” in Syria Schweitzer said Israel’s Druze have been caught between their loyalties before: In 1982 Druze soldiers in the Israel army were sent to occupy Lebanon He said he was a commander in Israel’s Golani Brigade and found himself ruling over close to half a million Lebanese Druze civilians in the Beirut area faced threats from Christian Phalangist militias being funded by Israel and I was an officer in the occupying army in the region which was causing their distress,” Kheredin said said the Druze leadership in Israel urged then-Prime Minister Menahem Begin to intervene Begin issued an order to the Phalangists to safeguard the Druze The debate among Israeli Druze over how to defend their Syrian counterparts today has yielded no clear answers But it has shed light on the decreasing relevance of international borders village elder Badr said that should conditions deteriorate for Druze in Syria he would condone and even encourage Israeli Druze to slip across the border to attack Islamic fundamentalists he would not have even considered making contact with Druze living under Assad Since Israel and Syria are enemy countries Kheredin said he noticed Assad’s hold on Syria had slipped and he made his first Skype call to a Syrian Druze “It was an incredible feeling that here finally we hear first-hand from our people in Syria,” he said “All their houses are like our parents’ houses with portraits of the sheikhs [religious leaders] on the walls I felt I am speaking to Druze just like in Hurfeish.” I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward American Jews need independent news they can trust At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S rising antisemitism and polarized discourse This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up Copyright © 2025 The Forward Association 'Without Unnecessary Brutality'Six months after the War of Independence ended David Ben-Gurion sought to expel more than 10,000 Arabs from the north for unspecified 'security reasons.' Why was a long-declassified letter describing that plan recently hidden again from public view 2018Get email notification for articles from Adam Raz FollowDec 21 2018The document reproduced here is important for three reasons because of the connection between the first reason and the second reason which offers a lesson about the reciprocal relations between releasing historical documentation from archives and the recognition of history