Shared life, not just shared mourning

Last week’s atrocious rocket attack on the Druze village of Majdal Shams, which killed 12 children, is another reminder of the obligation Israel has towards its Druze population. While the situation of the Golan Heights Druze is somewhat different to that of their coreligionists elsewhere in Israel, this distinction only heightens the importance of encouraging their full integration into Israeli society.

Since its establishment, the Druze, an Arabic-speaking ethnoreligious group found primarily in Israel, Lebanon, and Syria, have been loyal to the State of Israel and served disproportionately in the IDF. Today, around 40% of Druze men serve in the security forces in some capacity, a striking figure when compared to the general Israeli Jewish population. This statistic underscores the disproportionate role that the Druze play concerning their population size. They are also prominent in academia and healthcare.

However, they are underrepresented in the corridors of power. According to a May 2022 report by the Civil Service Commission, Druze individuals constitute 1.6% of public service workers, which aligns with their proportion in Israel’s population. However, this representation is only seen at entry-level positions. Higher-ranking Druze government officials are scarce, and they are underrepresented in all other grades. As a result, the level of government services provided to Druze communities is often substandard.

When the Menomadin Foundation began working in Israel nearly five years ago, we met with Druze leaders to discuss how to support their community. In these meetings, we discovered that the Druze community seeks to develop a civic leadership that can complement the respected position held by their religious leaders. Empowering Druze local authorities will prevent a brain drain from Druze villages, allowing the community to maintain its traditions and culture. Alongside integrating greater numbers of Druze in government positions, there is also an urgent need to make suitable employment available to Druze women and young people.

To begin addressing these problems, together with the Yesodot Center at the Ma’ase Association, we created the A’alam initiative, which works to increase Druze representation in key public positions. Twenty-nine young Druze men and women participated in the first two cycles; more than half of them have since begun careers in public service, including the prestigious Cadets for Local Government. Following this success, the Ministry of the Negev, Galilee, and National Resilience has joined the initiative, allowing for the expansion and scaling of the program. The third cycle focused on young, talented Druze men and women working in local government services within Druze communities. It produced 17 graduates from 10 different localities. Graduates have reported that participating in the program has equipped them to provide better services and initiate development programs for the benefit of the Druze community. We are proud that the most recent A’alam intake included a representative from Majdal Shams.

It is not enough to express sympathy with the Druze community during their time of need. To build a genuine partnership with this important community and to highlight our shared common destiny, we must invest in the younger generation and empower local leadership. This approach will ensure that both duties and benefits are shared equally.