A leader of the Druze community in Israel, Sheikh Mowaffaq Tarif, said the plan that the government began discussing to improve the conditions of the community and bridge the gaps in housing, planning and development was insufficient and lacked several factors.
In a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he demanded the removal of financial fines and legal procedures against members of the Druze community who had built their homes on their own lands. He also put forward a demand for the enactment of laws to establish the status of the Bani Maarouf community.
Days before the Eid al-Adha holiday, the Druze in Israel said they were ready to take unprecedented steps against the government if it did not stop a wind turbine project on their lands in the occupied Golan Heights.
The giant project was approved by the government years ago, but the area residents thwarted the first attempt to implement it in 2020, deeming the entire project a “declaration of war.”
The protestors assert that the turbines would destroy the land, crops and the environment, while the government argues that the project aims to provide electricity to about 50,000 families.
The confrontation over the turbine project came at a time when the Druze had warned the government against proceeding with the “Zionist Law”, which they said would turn them into second-class citizens.
The draft-law, which was put forward by the “Jewish Power” party, led by the extremist minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, seeks to give the “values” of “Zionism” greater status than any other basic laws, like democracy and the right to equality.
The bill, if approved, will guarantee the government’s directive to all ministries to uphold “Zionist values” in all fields, the most important of which are privileges granted to those who served in the army, security forces and combat military service. It also covers settlements, including pushing forward a plan to Judaize the Negev and Galilee.
The Druze are heavily engaged in the Israeli army. The percentage of recruits from the Druze community is among the highest, and exceeds that of Jewish soldiers, including within combat units.
In an attempt to appease the anger of the Druze community, the government began on Sunday discussions to approve a new plan that aims to establish new neighborhoods for demobilized soldiers.
Netanyahu told ministers that the cry of the members of the Bani Maarouf confession “has reached the government, which is working to resolve it.”
