Druze youths currently face a deep identity crisis ...

Via Friday-Lunch-Club

YNETnews/ here

"...The Druze in Israel are not mercenaries – they perform mandatory military service in all units, including the most elite and secretive ones. Yet Druze youths currently face a deep identity crisis: Only few would define their identity as “Arab Palestinian,” despite their mother tongue, customs, and religion. Many lost their Arabic language and speak a language that is replete with Hebrew, and many others have already rejected their national identity. In their view, their Israeliness is beyond any doubt.

The Druze sector never launched a strike, even when its lands were “robbed.” Meanwhile, more than half Druze households make their livelihood via a salary or benefits of the defense establishment. Yet settlers like the ones who target the Druze merely boost the frustration and feeling that “now that the Druze did the dirty work there’s no need for them,” thereby boosting the identity crisis.

I do not accept the attitude that the settlers in question are just “bad weeds.” There is a whole field of them by now. I’m unwilling to accept that settler leaders cannot restrain them, and I don’t understand why IDF commanders merely whine instead of restraining these thugs.

The Jews in Israel cannot use terms like “brothers in arms” or “blood pact” only on memorial days. They cannot cry out every morning: “We have a Jewish and democratic state.” A democratic state must defend itself from those who aim to sow the seeds of fascism, because there is no Jewish state that isn’t democratic. A fascist state or district cannot be Jewish.This is not the place to cry out over civilian injustice, discrimination, and government arrogance in respect to Druze land. Right now I’m only voicing the pain of the soldiers who perform their mandatory service. The percentage of Druze soldiers is greater than that of Jewish soldiers, while many of the settlers (and certainly the ultra-Orthodox) only carry arms to guard their homes, and in quite a few cases to exact revenge and hurt their neighbors. A little shame would do them good."

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