Druze commander of the IDF Herev battalion
Posted on 06/17/2015 12:23:54 PM PDT by McGruff
Syrian rebels have surrounded a Druze village close to the Israeli side of the Golan Heights strategic ceasefire line Wednesday, prompting the Israeli government to offer protection to refugees who cross into the territory it occupies and vow to prevent a massacre at the border.
The insurgents, among them Islamist fighters, surrounded the village of Hader following heavy fighting with pro-government forces in the region that left at least seven rebels and 10 regime soldiers dead, British-based monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
"Hader is now totally surrounded by rebels, who just took a strategic hilltop north of the village," SOHR director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. "[Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's] regime has not sent reinforcements yet, but the Druze villagers are standing with the government."
The latest rebel advance comes after three months of clashes, during which time rebels have seized entire villages, military bases and a border crossing area with Jordan. It also follows last week's shootout between al Qaeda offshoot, Nusra Front, and pro-Assad forces in northwestern Idlib province, which resulted in the deaths of at least 20 Druze, SOHR said
Israel said it was bracing for an influx of Druze refugees when rebel forces attempt to enter Hader.
"The reality in the Golan Heights, where internal fighting is near the border with Israel, is of great concern to us, including the possibility we might have to deal with refugees from Syria arriving at the border," Israel's military Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot reportedly told a parliamentary committee.
"We will take measures to prevent a situation where refugees are massacred," he was quoted as saying, according to AFP. "Our action would be humanitarian."
The Israeli army on Tuesday limited border access to the Israeli-occupied Golan, which has a large Druze population, after declaring it a closed military zone. Only residents were able to move in and out of the zone, which was a measure not to prevent refugees from entering, but to keep some of the estimated 20,000 Druze living in Israeli-held Golan from trying to cross over to Syrian to help fellow members of the minority group.
The Druze are a small, secretive ethno-religious minority with roots in Islam who are concentrated in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. In Syria, they dominate the southern province of Sweida, but also populate villages in other areas like Idlib and in the eastern Golan. Officials say the Druze comprised roughly 3 percent of Syria's pre-war population of 23 million, while some 110,000 Druze currently reside in northern Israel and an estimated 200,000 in Lebanon.
Obama will not want to be embarrassed by effective Israeli action against ISIS, and will attempt to deter Bibi.
Bibi will ignore Barack, save the Druze, kill ISIS, and then endure the condemnation of the UN and Obama.
The Druze are a tribal branch of Islam, which I thought lived in the hills of Lebanon. I knew a Lebanese Druze family in CA, very highly educated, prosperous and charitable beyond the norm. Good people.
Not sure why Israel is taking on their defense. Somebody should, though.
IDF is partly composed of Druze Soldiers. Surprised?
neither.
the bad guys here are ISIS. They are fighting and apparently defeating the Syrian army of Assad.
the Syrian rebels, the non ISIS forces and the really good guys that Obana deserted are fighting in the north I believe
One wonders if the town is surrounded how refugees could escape and flee south through ISIS lines and check points
Seems strange but no, I’m not surprised. We’ll see how it plays out.
the reason why Israel is taking on this is that they are close enough to do it with out endangering themselves and it is the right thing to do.
“IDF is partly composed of Druze Soldiers. Surprised?”
Yes, actually. Interesting. Thanks for the tidbit.
It is always the non-muzzie to bring light into the Muslim darkness.
IDF is partly composed of Druze Soldiers. Surprised?
Druze are the only non-Jewish group in Israel subject to the draft. And the Druze were a force to be reckoned with during the long Lebanese Civil War.
Should Israel succeed in saving Muslim lives, the “thank yous” will be pouring from every corner of the globe./s
Seems that the Druze have a long tradition of serving in the IDF and are good solid Israeli citizens.
The good and bad are interchangeable as far as I am concerned.
Bad.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
The Israeli army on Tuesday limited border access to the Israeli-occupied Golan, which has a large Druze population, after declaring it a closed military zone. Only residents were able to move in and out of the zone, which was a measure not to prevent refugees from entering, but to keep some of the estimated 20,000 Druze living in Israeli-held Golan from trying to cross over to Syrian to help fellow members of the minority group.The Druze beliefs include a type of reincarnation, which makes them, uh, stand out among other muslims; regardless, they are by and large an asset to any country where they live, and don't seem to care about Druze nationalism, probably because they are a sect rather than an ethnic group. Thanks to isolation and intramarriage, they are probably both.
Exactly. Thanks for the reminder.
Israel has a Druze population in the north, and many Druze in Lebanon supported Israel. Druze not only serve in the IDF, but by their insistence years ago, they were made subject to mandatory service, like any Jewish Israeli. Of course some support Hizbollah in Lebanon.
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The world reaction will be interesting if Israel intervenes. Saving civilians from massacre, that will strike leaders from Europe to Obama as odd. Talking about it, good. Acting, who does that.
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