‘The Enemy of My Enemy Is My Friend’: The Backstory of Israel's Strategic Alliance with the Druze

The Druze are a monotheistic religious group whose origins date back to the 11th century. They split from the Shiite branch of Islam and have been influenced by many different beliefs. They are known for keeping their beliefs secret and maintaining a closed community. In Syria, they are primarily concentrated in the province of Suwayda (Jabal al-Druze). There are also significant Druze communities in Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan. While the Druze in Syria have had a tumultuous relationship with the regime, they generally tend to preserve their autonomy. The Assad regime has granted them partial autonomy and exempted them from military service in the Syrian Army to secure their loyalty. Perhaps the most important reason for this exemption is that the Druze can join the Israeli Army and, in the event of a war, Druze in the Syrian Army might rebel. Additionally, accepting the Druze, who have historically had close and warm relations with Israel, into the army would serve no purpose other than to facilitate the work of Mossad.

In the complex and ever-changing mosaic of alliances in the Middle East, the relationship between Israel and the Druze community is one of the most concrete and long-standing examples of the saying, ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend.’ For Israel, a Jewish state surrounded by the Arab world, the Druze represent loyal partners and a strategic guarantee; for the Druze, this alliance has been the cornerstone of their survival and existence strategy amid the turmoil in the region. The importance of this relationship goes beyond military cooperation, rooted in deep historical ties, complex social dynamics, and a shared perception of threats.

Historical Origins: An Alliance Born of Mistrust

The foundations of the Israeli-Druze relationship date back to the Mandate period in Palestine, before the establishment of the State of Israel. At that time, both Jews and Druze saw themselves as minorities within the Arab majority population and shared common concerns about the future. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, many Druze villages and leaders decided to cooperate with the Jewish side against Arab nationalist forces. This decision reflected the pragmatic and survival-oriented policies of the Druze. Distrustful of the intentions of the Arab states and armies surrounding them, the Druze formed an informal alliance with Israel, which they saw as a more reliable ally, known as the ‘blood brotherhood.’

This alliance gained official status after the establishment of the State of Israel. In 1957, at the request of Druze leaders, compulsory military service in the Israeli Defence Forces was introduced for Druze men. This became the strongest symbol of the Druze's loyalty to the state and their desire for integration, unlike the majority of the Arab population in Israel. Since then, the Druze have served in all units of the IDF, including the most critical and elite units, attained high ranks, and played a key role in Israel's security. In addition, nearly half of the world's approximately 1.5 million Druze live in Syria. This is seen by Israel as a standing army against Syria that has secretly completed its deployment.

Strategic Depth: The Eyes and Ears on the Border

The strategic importance of Israel's alliance with the Druze is multi-layered. First, the Druze community within Israel strengthens internal stability as a reliable part of the state. In particular, Druze villages in Israel's northern regions are located in strategically sensitive areas and act as Israel's forward sentinels.

More importantly, this alliance plays a critical role in Israel's cross-border policies. The large Druze population living in the Suwayda region of southern Syria and in Lebanon is an important source of intelligence and potential influence for Israel. With the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, the situation of the Druze in the Jabal al-Druze (Druze Mountain) region has become an important factor in shaping Israel's policy towards Syria. Israel views the Druze in the region as a buffer against radical Islamist groups and Iranian-backed militias and considers their security to be part of its own national security. Israel's air strikes against the regime and Arab tribes in Suwayda, under the pretext of protecting the Druze, amid growing tensions between Arab tribes and local Druze groups in the region, are a concrete manifestation of this strategy. However, there is a very important question that needs to be asked here: Did Israel really carry out these attacks to protect the Druze, or did it use the Druze to carry out these attacks?

Socio-Political Integration

Despite full integration in the military sphere, it cannot be said that the Druze community in Israel enjoys the same level of equality in civilian life. Although the Druze consider themselves loyal citizens of the state, they sometimes claim to face discrimination and neglect, particularly in the distribution of state resources and planning. This behaviour should be considered expected given the past strategies of the Jewish community and its claims of ‘superior race.’

One of the biggest controversies on this issue erupted with the passage of the ‘Nation-State Law’ in 2018. This law, which defines Israel as ‘the nation-state of the Jewish people’ and removes Arabic as an official language, caused great disappointment and anger among the Druze community. The Druze, who see themselves as one of the founding elements of the state and have shed their blood for this country, argued that this law relegated them to second-class citizenship. This situation led to the questioning of the ‘blood brotherhood’ agreement between the Israeli state and the Druze community and caused tension in their relations. Although the government has taken some steps to address the concerns of the Druze, the sense of insecurity created by the Nation-State Law has not been completely dispelled.

Regional Dynamics and the Future

Israel's relationship with the Druze has been constantly evolving in parallel with the changing balance of power in the Middle East.

The uncertainty in Syria, the Hezbollah factor in Lebanon, and Iran's growing influence in the region have further increased the importance of this strategic alliance. Israel is trying to create a sphere of influence in both Syria and Lebanon and balance its enemies by using the Druze card. However, this relationship is not a one-sided dependency.

The Druze also view Israel as a protector against the powers surrounding them, which they perceive as a potential threat. While this mutual interest relationship appears to have transcended the principle of ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend,’ evolving into a shared destiny and survival strategy, such interest-based relationships often end in disappointment. In the future, the direction this alliance will take will depend on both Israel's sincerity in addressing the concerns of its Druze citizens and the course of geopolitical developments in the Middle East. However, one thing is certain: this unique and strategic alliance will continue to be an important factor in the region's complex equation.