The Deal With Israel That Changed the Druze Forever | Explained

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In the mountains of northern Israel, the Druze have built a community unlike any other in the Middle East. Arabic-speaking and deeply loyal to the state, they’ve fought in its wars while guarding a faith so secret that even many Druze can’t study it. Still wrestling with questions of identity, their story offers a window into what it means to belong in a land defined by borders and belief. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:40 Majdal Shams 02:28 Druze origins 03:04 Druze religion 04:56 Loyalty to the state 08:04 The Golan Heights 11:24 The Nation State Law 12:59 US affirmation of annexation 13:12 The wind turbines 13:39 Majdal Shams m@ssacre 15:00 Suwayda 16:02 Perspectives of Druze today Subscribe and turn on your notifications so you don’t miss future uploads! https://www.youtube.com/UNPACKED?sub_confirmation=1 Recommended video — Who are the Palestinians Living in Israel? | Unpacked https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBJDRljP1so&list=PL-DNOnmKkUaZf_PSH1T8ISZlWhcFs_O4o&index=2 We have merch! – https://shop.unpacked.media/?utm_medium=youtube&utm_source=video-description&utm_campaign=merch Let’s connect: Website — https://www.Unpacked.media Instagram — /unpackedmedia Twitter — /unpackedmedia TikTok — /unpackedmedia Facebook — /unpackedmedia ----------- Sources: -“Dozens of Golan Druze protest on 39th anniversary of Israeli annexation.” The Jerusalem Post, 14 February 2021. -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkWrA9tcJkM. CBN News, 7 August 2024. -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdmS9HNq7kA. i24NEWS English, 6 November 2023. -“Golan silent minority would trade the land.” JWeekly, 7 April 2000. -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG7TtkNIwgE. ILTV Israel News, 17 June 2019. -“Israel plans Syria security zone, aid corridor for Druze, Netanyahu says.” JNS, 28 August 2025. “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E1WE9m1UiI. Reuters, 14 May 2025. -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r84OlWeJszs. NPR, 24 May 2025. -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U23i9jrAIlc. Mansur Ashkar, 25 April 2025. -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdDiTt-GO2Y. Today Unpacked. 28 June 2023. -Atashi, Zeidan. “Druze in Israel and the Question of Compulsory Military Service.” Jewish Virtual Library. -Eldar, D., & Young, G. (2024). The ‘Nation-State Law’ and non-Jews belonging in Israel: Druze loyalty, citizenship and positionality in the Jewish state. Nations and Nationalism, 30(4), 666–682. -Fuchs, Amir and Suzie Navot. “Nation-State Law Explainer.” The Israel Democracy Institute, 11 December 2023. -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_Bh2KRDAv4. Corey Gil Shuster. 29 November 2020. -Jenkinson, Orlando. “Violence flares at Druze Arab protests against wind power in Israel-occupied Golan Heights.” Windpower Monthly, 21 June 2023. -Klein Leichman, Abigail. “Meet 6 Druze leaders changing Israel for the better.” Israel21C, 30 March 2021. -Kolirin, Lianne. “Israel’s Druze Arabs, fiercely loyal to the state, feel let down after ‘paying with their blood’.” CNN, 21 February 2024. -Lax, Chaim. “The Israeli Druze Community: A Covenant of Brotherhood.” HonestReporting, 28 November 2022. -Melhem, Ahmad. “More Druze risk prison to reject military service in Israel.” Al-Monitor, 30 April 2019. -Miller, Marjorie. “Netanyahu Offers Hard-Line Plan for Israel.” The Los Angeles Times, 17 June 1996. -Rudoren, Jodi. “As Syria Reels, Israel Looks to Expand Settlements in Golan Heights.” NYT, 2 October 2015. -Shap, Elana. “Druze chef Naifa Mulla opens eatery with a hybrid flair.” ISRAEL21C, 18 July 2023. -Stolk, Babette. “Political Disillusionment Is Growing in Israel’s Druze Community.” New Lines Magazine, 15 August 2023. -Weiss, Mark. “Why do Israel's Druze oppose wind turbines being built in the Golan?.” The Jerusalem Post, 3 October 2023. ----------- Image/footage credits: Channel 4 Al Jazeera The Australian Israel Defense Forces Roya News I Am Druze, Sherut Hasratim Hayisraeli Associated Press Reuters CBN News Sons of Abraham: A Secret Order France 24 Times of Israel BBC News i24 News History Leaks Israel Government Press Office Oneindia History Channel Arut Orot: Televizia Yehudit Kan 11 Dittrich & Schlechtriem Gate to Paradise The VJ Movement Shirat Hasticker - Hatelevizia Hachinuchit Hayisraelit Final Days of Yitzhak Rabin - Sunset Presse Sky News Vice News Euro News ILTV Arab News NDTV World CNN Wall Street Journal AIPAC March of the Nations Kochav Haba ----------- Executive Producers: Michael Steinhardt Co-Executive Producers: Marc Shmuel Levine Iris & Shalom Maidenbaum Gold Level: The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life ----------- Portuguese: Saymon Pires, www.livrariasafra.com.br, @safralivraria Unpacked: We provide nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex and complicated — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we know that being complex makes us more interesting. Because of this, we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking. #israel #druze #syria