Israel Steps In to Defend the Druze While the World Looks Away
If you’re not watching developments unfolding in Syria with the Druze and Israel’s response, you should. You should also ask why you’re not seeing reports of these. One reason you may not be hearing about this is because it’s a situation of Arabs massacring other Arabs (though, albeit Arabic speakers, or Moslems slaughtering other Moslems and other minorities, though Druze do not consider themselves Arab or Muslim), which is “normal” and widespread throughout history. You’re not hearing about this because the Jews and Israel are not only not to be blamed, but they are the saviors of the Druze.
Who Are the Druze?
Druze are an ethnic and religious minority of several hundred thousand to one million. They live primarily in Syria (the largest number), Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan. Their religion is largely secretive and generally considered an offshoot of Islam with other influences. Their prophet is Jethro (as in the father-in-law of Moses). Because they are a small, close-knit religious and ethnic community indigenous in southern Syria, Lebanon, northern Israel, and Jordan, they have close family connections separated by the artificial borders made up by Britain and France as new nation states were created a century ago after WWI.
Because Druze are such a small minority, over the centuries they have undertaken a practice to be loyal, even nationalist defenders of the countries in which they reside. In Israel, that’s especially the case, which I will discuss below. In the case of Syria and Lebanon, where most Druze live, they are considered loyal Syrians and Lebanese. They are not looking to establish their own Druze State as do the Kurdish minority in Iran, Iraq, and Turkey, or other religious and ethnic minorities. However, because they are such a small minority, and are seen as infidels by Moslems, they are often persecuted specifically in Lebanon and most recently in Syria.
In Israel, since the establishment of the State in 1948, Druze have been a loyal minority, referring to themselves as the cousins of the Jews. As citizens, Druze are the main Arabic-speaking Israeli minority who are drafted and actively serve in the IDF, but uniquely in prominent combat units. Proportionally, the Druze have lost an exceedingly high percentage of soldiers as compared to other sectors of Israeli society. In most, if not every, major Israeli Druze community, there is also a military cemetery, with graves etched with the names of soldiers from their communities, in Arabic, memorializing those who have fallen in combat on behalf of the Jewish state.
Druze have served in countless leadership positions throughout Israel, including the Knesset (parliament), as government ministers, diplomats, and, of course, in senior IDF positions. It’s noteworthy that the highest-ranking IDF soldier killed in combat since the war against Hamas began was a Druze Israeli.
Parenthetically, there is a relatively large Druze community in the Golan Heights, which has lived between two worlds since Israel took over the territory and annexed it after the Six-Day War. Concerned that Israel might return the Golan to Syrian control, most never accepted Israeli citizenship that they were offered for fear of the implications on their families in Syria, or for themselves as “traitors” were they ever to find themselves under Syrian control.
Yet when a Hezbollah missile struck a soccer field on Saturday afternoon, July 27, 2024, killing 12 Golan Druze children, Israelis flocked to pay condolences and express solidarity with this sector of the community, who are not even Israeli citizens.
Between the commitment to and sacrifices for the Jewish state that the Druze have made, as well as their deep connection to and concern for their relatives in Syria, many Israeli Druze have been protesting in Israel on behalf of their Syrian brethren. Some have even breached the border with Syria, literally running to defend the Druze communities that have been under attack there, and whose residents have been humiliated, tortured, and executed by the militia of the current jihadi Syrian regime.
On the surface, Israel’s military response to the recent assault on Druze communities may raise eyebrows. It makes sense to take out Syrian tanks and other weapons and troops encroaching on the Israeli border in southern Syria, where the Druze live. But why specifically defend a non-Israeli ethnic and religious minority at all, much less by striking the Syrian military and regime installation in Damascus?
A few lessons can be learned from this.
Among the thousands of Israelis who have sacrificed since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and massacre and the war in its wake, the Druze have suffered disproportionately. Yet as a result of the war and these losses, and attacks on Hezbollah and Syria, which resulted in the fall of the Assad dictatorship in Syria, a positive outcome is that Syria has been so weakened that Israel was able to go into Syria to defend the Druze at all. A year ago, the scenario would have been very different.
This is an example to all of Israel’s neighbors, specifically Palestinian Arabs and even more specifically Gazans. This is a model of what Israel’s reciprocal support is and can be for peaceful, loyal neighbors: to live under the wings of its protection and not as enemies. It’s not just a sensible modern rational nation-state model, but a Biblical model of nations of the world living in peace alongside Israel.
Israeli leaders have spoken vociferously about the imperative to support the Syrian Druze; a non-Israeli ethnic and religious group related to its own loyal ethnic and religious minority. In a world where rampant antisemitism has become acceptable, a parallel question is what nation-state will actually stand to defend Jews in their own countries who are suffering threats around the world. As Jews worldwide live in growing fear and threats, who will come to their defense?
Just weeks ago, there were rumors of Syria becoming one of the next parties to the Abraham Accords, making peace and normalizing relations with Israel. The jihadi Syrian government that overthrew the Assad regime has shown its true colors, attacking Alawites, attacking Christians, and attacking Druze. Perhaps this is the only “normalization” that Israel can ever expect from Syria.
Photo Credit: ©Jonathan Feldstein; used with permission
Published Date: July 18, 2025
The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of the Salem Web Network.
Jonathan Feldstein is president of the Genesis 123 Foundation (www,genesis123.co) whose mission is to build bridges between Jews and Christians and Christians with Israel. He was born and educated in the U.S. and immigrated to Israel in 2004. He is married and the father of six, and grandfather of four (so far).
Two sons and a son in law are currently serving in the IDF and have been involved in combat in Gaza and Lebanon since the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre in Israel.
Jonathan is a leader working with and among Christian supporters of Israel, and shares experiences of living as an Orthodox Jew in Israel through his work, writing, and as host of the Inspiration from Zion podcast. Since the war began, he has authored more than 150 articles, and participated in a similar number of interviews, briefings, prayer events, and more.
Jonathan is working with Christian leaders all over the world to realize a true peace in Gaza, details of which can be found at www.SolutionforPeaceinGaza.com.
In 2023 he published the highly acclaimed book, Israel the Miracle (www.israelthemiracle.com), which makes a great gift for Chanukah and Christmas, and year round.
Originally published July 18, 2025.
