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In the face of settler colonization and ethnic cleansing, indigenous people have struggled to resist assimilation and attempts to divide and conquer.

As an indigenous minority living under Israeli control, the Druze community has directly been subjected to such attempts including the enforcement of compulsory military in the Israeli army against their own people, a policy that has led to a growing sense of alienation and conflicting narratives.

In this event, two organizers will share their journey as young Druze organizing their community to reject military service and reclaim their history and identity as an integral part of the Palestinian people. Using Public Narrative, the campaign “Urfod [Refuse], your people will protect you”, has worked to challenge conflicting narratives and promote unity and reconciliation in the fight for liberation, often exposing them to violent repression from Israel and pressures from their own community.

The LCN is a non-violent, pro-democracy organization. We believe in the sanctity of all lives, and we believe the loss of all lives is tragic and needs to be avoided at all costs.

Event Information:

  • Type: Campaign showcase
  • Topic: Public Narrative & organizing
  • Cost: Open & Free to everyone
  • Date: November 20th, 2023
  • Time: 10 am ET / 5 pm Palestine / 7:30 IST
  • Location: Online

What you will learn

In this event, you will:

  • Learn about the challenges faced by the Druze community in Israel.
  • Learn about the campaign “Urfod [Refuse], your people will protect you” and its goals.
  • Learn about the importance of Public Narrative in challenging conflicting narratives and promoting unity and reconciliation.
  • Learn about the resilience and courage of parts of the Druze community in their struggle for liberation.

Other events in this series

Questions & answers

The Druze community is estimated to number around one million people worldwide. The majority of Druze live in Lebanon (250,000), Syria (700,000), and what is now known as Israel (120,000). There is also a smaller Druze community in Jordan.

The Druze are a diverse community, but they share a number of common cultural and religious practices. Druze speak Arabic and follow a number of Islamic customs. However, the Druze religion also has a number of unique features, such as its emphasis on Esotericism and its belief in reincarnation.

The Druze community living in Israel faces a number of difficulties, including:

  • Discrimination: Druze are often discriminated against in Israel, both by the government and by individuals. For example, Druze are often denied access to jobs and housing opportunities, and they are often the target of hate crimes.
  • Compulsory military service: Druze men are required to serve in the Israeli military, despite the fact that many Druze object to serving in an army that is occupying their people. Refusing to serve in the Israeli military can result in imprisonment.
  • Land confiscation: The Israeli government has confiscated large amounts of Druze land, often without compensation. This has made it difficult for Druze farmers to make a living, and it has also led to the destruction of Druze villages.
  • Loss of culture: The Israeli government has also tried to assimilate the Druze community into Israeli society. Which lead to a portion of the Druze community to drift away from their Palestinian identity which lead to distance.

Due to Israeli assimilation’s attempts and compulsory military service leading Druze soldiers to be involved in Israeli oppression of Palestinians, Druzes are viewed by a large majority of Palestinians as “traitors”, a narrative that the campaign aims to challenge.

It is a campaign of young Palestinians which aims to abolish military service in the ranks of the Israeli army imposed on young Palestinians of the Druze faith. The movement strives to oppose all forms of conscription and reconsolidate the links between all members of a unique people, fills the gaps and combats attempts at invisibilization as well as the process of methodical annihilation of an identity, which has been practiced since before 1948.

Conscription is compulsory in Israel according to the Military Service Act (Amended Act 1949 in 1986) and applies to any person over eighteen years old, Israeli citizen or resident in Israel. You can therefore be called up for conscription by the Israeli Minister of Security but, following a government decision, this law does not apply in practice to the Arabs who are exempt from compulsory military service with the exception of non-religious Druze Arabs. On May 3, 1956, Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion imposed military service on young Druze Arabs. The Druze community protested at the time against this decision. The refusal of conscription imposed by force on young people Palestinian Druze is therefore not new.

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Contact person for this event series

Céline Lebrun Shaath
Céline Lebrun ShaathCommunity of Practice Program Manager

For more information about this event please contact  Céline Lebrun Shaath

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