The Druze safe havens in the Middle East

Reports in Lebanon that tens of thousands of Shi’its civilians are fleeing South Lebanon fearing war between the terror organization Hezbollah and Israel. These Shi’ites are going mainly to Druze villages in Mount Lebanon. The Druze mountains in the Middle East are safe havens for anyone running away from war. This is a longstanding tradition for the Druze to open their doors generously and protect their guests.

Although, the Druze community in Lebanon opposes Hezbollah’s Iranian occupation of the country. Their tradition is to put assistance to people in need over political rivalry. They still remember Hezbollah’s attempt to take over their areas in 2008 and yet they opened their doors.

During the civil war in Syria and the spread of ISIS, hundreds of thousands of Syrians from all ethnic and religious groups run to the Druze Mountain Jabal Druze. They knew the Druze would protect them with their lives. Everywhere you looked in the Druze city of Swyida you could see refuges. Some are in rented apartments, and others are in tents.

In Israel as well Jews know that come rain or shine the Druze villages in the Galilee and the Carmel mountains are the safest places in the country. That was one of the reasons why everyone was shocked about the Majdal Shams massacre that killed 12 kids and injured two dozen children on a football field.

The Arab community in Israel survived the war in 1948 because many Palestinians took refuge in Druze villages and did not flee with their brothers and sisters who became refugees in Arab countries. They came back to their villages and rebuilt their homes. Only after the war was over,

For 1000 years the Druze have been holding the mountain tops from the Carmel near Haifa in Israel to the Sumak Mountains near the Turkish–Syrian borders in the north. They were a persecuted religious group so they had to hide in places easier to protect.

These areas are also very fertile, so the Druze farming community created a generous culinary culture and invited anyone who passed through their remote areas. The Druze says that one person’s food is enough to feed ten people.

The Druze liked their freedom and they went to war only to protect it. They developed a spartan worrier culture and did not hesitate to engage the big powers of the time in fierce battles. This is one of the reasons why after 1000 years there are only one and a half million Druze in the world.

If their freedom is not threatened the Druze political culture is one of compromise and common sense. They never follow religious zeal or radical ideology. One can only hope that the countries where the Druse live adopt their culture. If this happens the Middle East will be one day a much better region.