the occupied Palestinian territories, he said.
“For a substantial section of Druze youth,
army service is the only way to ensure a ca-
reer. It is primarily an economic issue for
them.”
The new Basic Law has inflamed these
existing tensions by enshrining privileges for
Jewish citizens in a range of key areas, in-
cluding immigration rights, access to land,
and in housing and budgets. It also down-
grades Arabic, stripping it of its status as an
official language.
In an unprecedented move for a Druze
leader, Asad, the general leading the protests,
warned on social media that the Basic Law
risked laying the foundations for “apartheid.”
He called the measure “evil and racist.”
The groundswell of anger was apparent
too at a recent awards ceremony attended by
Avi Dichter, a former head of Israel’s Shin Bet
domestic intelligence service and one of the
architects of the law. He needed protection as
Druze protesters publicly confronted him, de-
nouncing him as a “traitor” and “Nazi.”
Several Druze army officers have resigned,
while others have threatened to stop serving,
sparking fears of mass insubordination.Druze leaders have so far refused to co-
operate with a special ministerial committee
set up by Netanyahu to advance a solution
for the Druze, as well as a tiny Circassian
community and sections of the Bedouin that
also serve.
The committee seems likely to propose
extra benefits on an individual basis for
Palestinian citizens who serve in the army.
Jamal, of Tel Aviv University, said: “There
are many Druze who have invested in this
so-called ‘historical bond’ and do not want to
lose their special status.
“But at that same time they can’t accept
the deal Netanyahu is offering of perks for
army service. They don’t want to look like
they have been bought off with money, to
seem like mercenaries.”
Unless one side backs down, the Druze
community now looks set for a major clash
with the government for the first time in the
country’s history.
A recent poll indicated that 58 percent of
Israeli Jews support the law, though a simi-
lar number expressed sympathy for Druze
concerns. Ayelet Shaked, the justice minis-
ter, has already warned of “an earthquake”on the political right if the courts dare to
annul the law.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu has appeared in
no mood for compromise. After his meeting
with Druze leaders broke up in acrimony, his
officials implied that Gen. Asad and his sup-
porters were disloyal.
Israel’s Channel 2 TV quoted a source
close to Netanyahu stating, apparently in
reference to Asad and his followers: “Who-
ever doesn’t like it [the Basic Law], there’s a
large Druze community in Syria, and they’re
invited to found the state of Druzistan there.”
Dalia Halabi observed: “Netanyahu is fan-
ning the flames because he assumes the
Druze will agree to whatever he says. He
thinks we now have no option but to be
loyal.”
But Mano Abu Salha, aged 58 from
Yarka, and among those who attended the
mass demonstration in Tel Aviv, said that
Netanyahu would be proved wrong.
He said: “We didn’t come from Syria. We
are living on our historic lands and we’re not
going anywhere. We are the native popula-
tion. Netanyahu better realize that we are
staying put and will fight for our rights.”
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19215 SE 34th Street • #106-122 • Camas, WA 9860714 WASHINGTON REPORT ON MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS OCTOBER 2018cook_12-14.qxp_The Nakba Continues 8/29/18 4:08 PM Page 14