Coronavirus crisis highlights Druze discrimination in Israel
Faced with problems brought on by the coronavirus pandemic and delays in the transfer of funding because of the yearlong political imbroglio, Druze and Circassian local authorities are already on the verge of bankruptcy.
While Israel is completely absorbed by the coronavirus outbreak, the Druze and Circassian communities have reached a new pressure point. On May 3, the Druze community responded by launching what they call a “month of rage” to protest their dire circumstances. The protest includes a strike until further notice in all Druze villages, including in schools and other educational institutions. On May 5, dozens of activists blocked a highway in the north of the country, as a sign of protest. Leading this general strike is the “Forum of Mayors of Druze and Circassian Local Authorities.” On May 3, they gathered in Jerusalem, in front of the prime minister’s office, carrying signs with slogans like, “Did you betray me, brother?” and “We will not be the next Southern Lebanon Army.”
This mention of the SLA is particularly painful to Israeli leaders. It refers to a militia sponsored by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which operated in southern Lebanon from the late 1970s until Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon in May 2000 and the abandonment of the SLA by Israel and the IDF. With these signs, the Druze and Circassians are saying that they feel just as betrayed as those Israeli allies in Lebanon.
