Knowing the Druze, Arabian Tribe Chose to Become Israel Citizens
- Daily News Egypt
Israel – The Arabic-speaking Druze tribe chose to become citizens of Israel. However, even though they have fought alongside the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), they still live in poverty and are marginalized.
As an ethnic minority in Israel, Druze say their community is marginalized and deprived of public investment. Their families were even fined large sums for building houses due to selective enforcement of planning regulations.
One of the residents who shouted loudly was Salah Abu Rukun. He was a leader of the Druze protests, who told how residents were rarely given permission to build houses.
About two-thirds of Druze homes in Israel were built without proper permits in recent decades. So they constantly receive threats of orders in the form of demolition or large fines.
Suku Druze yang Bergabung dengan Tentara Israel
- I24 News
"Druze only have very limited private land so they cannot guarantee the survival of the Druze community with its character and villages," he said, as quoted AFP site.Â
Nisreen Abu Asale, a lawyer from Beit Jann, also said so. He said residents had no choice but to stay at home without permission.
"We don't want to abandon our community, culture or religion," he said, adding that urban planning had not progressed for decades.
"We lived by necessity 20 or 30 years ago," he added.
In practice, people's houses are rarely demolished. However, financial sanctions are strictly implemented by the Israeli government.
For decades, residents have continued to "lack investment". It's not just house permits, the electricity network is bad, let alone the waste disposal system and roads.
Racism and Marginalization
In addition, activists also mention how racism has also hit non-Jewish minorities in Israel under right-wing governments in recent years. It should be noted that the current Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, also comes from the right wing.
Their misfortune was also compounded by the appearance of the "Nation State" law. in 2018. This law prioritizes Jews and is considered demeaning to Druze, including other Arab nationals.
