Israel’s Druze minority galvanizes opposition to nation-state law
Participation in high-profile mass protest was a departure for the Druze, who are celebrated in Israel for their patriotism and military service.
(The Christian Science Monitor) In decades of demonstrations at Rabin Square, it was an unprecedented sight. With Tel Aviv’s 20-story City Hall lit up in the five-colored Druze Arab flag, tens of thousands of Jewish and Druze demonstrators chanted in Arabic and Hebrew, “Equality. Equality.”
The demonstrations in August opposed Israel’s recently passed nation-state law, a piece of constitutional legislation enshrining the country’s Jewish character that critics say downgrades Arab citizens of Israel, who make up 21 percent of the population, and omits mention of democratic values.
Participation in high-profile mass protest was a departure for the Druze, a small religious minority within the larger Arab minority. The Druze are celebrated in Israel for their patriotism and military service but have strained relations with other Israeli Arabs.
