NEW YORK - The World Jewish Congress and the Israeli Consulate of New York welcomed delegates from the Israeli Druze Alliance on Monday for a special meeting highlighting the integral role played by Druze citizens within Israeli society.
Nearly 50 guests gathered in the WJC offices in Manhattan to meet with seven influential young members of the Israeli Druze community who serve in leadership roles in the Israel Defense Forces, the police, media and the medical field. On its tour of the United States, the delegation visited Boston, Los Angeles and New York, speaking with schools, organizations and various media outlets in order to spread understanding and awareness of their community’s place in Israel’s multicultural and multi-faceted society.
“There is a special bond between the Druze and Jewish communities of Israel,” said Amir Sagie, Israel’s Deputy Consul General in New York. “We owe this community a lot, as Israelis. We are here to help you. As the Israeli Consulate, together with the American Jewish community, we can show how diverse Israel is, and the fact that minorities are not only equal, but take part in defending Israel.”
Dr. Amir Halabi, First Sergeant in the Israel Defense Forces and member of the delegation, described the patriotism and freedom felt by the Druze citizens of Israel. “Every one of us has a very strong connection to Israel,” said Dr. Halabi. “Each one of us has relatives who served in the IDF, or friends and family who died. For us to defend Israel is not a question. It is our only homeland.”
World Jewish Congress CEO Robert Singer praised the Druze community for its contribution to the State of Israel, recalling his former roommate from officer’s training school, Col. Nevi Mari’i, who rose through the ranks of the IDF to become the deputy commander of the Gaza Brigade and was killed in action in the Palestinian coastal territory in 1996. “Nevi was a true patriot and proud citizen who gave his life to protect the State of Israel,” Singer said. “His selflessness and devotion is reflected time and again by generations of Druze Israelis.”
The delegation was touring the U.S. as part of its initiative to coordinate with the American Jewish community and promote Israel through the eyes of non-Jewish citizens, provide education about the Druze community, and try to glean support for Israel’s Druze citizens.
The Druze community in Israel numbers 104,000, making it the third largest after Syria and Lebanon. Some 86 percent of the Israeli Druze community serves in the army. The Druze faith is monotheistic and can be traced back to Jethro, father-in-law of Moses. It is officially recognized within Israel as a separate religious entity, with its own courts and spiritual leadership. The official language of the community is Arabic, but its members are highly integrated in the Hebrew-speaking Israeli society.
Photo: Members of the Israeli Druze Alliance are welcomed by the World Jewish Congress and the Israeli Consulate of New York at the WJC headquarters on November 2, 2015. From left: Betty Ehrenberg, Executive Director of World Jewish Congress-United States and North America; Evelyn Sommer, Chair of World Jewish Congress North America; Lt. Shuki Hasson; Major Marwan Kheir; Einav Halabi; First Sergeant Dr. Amir Halabi; Dr. Tahani Sheikh; Inspector Faten Nasr Aldeen; Captain Hassan Malkada; Amir Sagie, Israel’s Deputy Consul General in New York.
