Palestinian Druze were people in Mandatory Palestine who belonged to the Druze ethnoreligious group. [1] [2] During the first census of the British mandate, Druze were one of eight religious demographic groups who were categorized, [3] The sense of a distinct identity among Druze began to increase in the 1930s when some other Arab citizens viewed them as being neutral during ethnic contentions. [4] During the early 20th century, many authors depicted the Druze as neutral during the clashes that happened between Jews and non-Jewish Arabs in the 1920s and 1930s. This perception eventually culminated in Israeli leadership approaching the Druze who were in leadership positions and offering them a treaty of non-aggression, leading to somewhat tranquil relations between the two. [5]
Contents
During the British Mandate for Palestine, the Druze did not embrace the rising Arab nationalism of the time or participate in violent resistance to colonialism. In 1948, many Druze volunteered for the Israeli army and no Druze villages were destroyed or abandoned in Palestine at that time. [6] Since the establishment of the Israeli state, the Druze have demonstrated solidarity with Israel and distanced themselves from Arab and Islamic anti-occupation movements. [7] Druze citizens serve in the Israel Defense Forces. [8]
