Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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
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Recommended video — Who are the Palestinians Living in Israel? | Unpacked
youtube.com/watch?v=vBJDRljP1so&list=PL-DNOnmKkUaZf_PSH1T8ISZlWhcFs_O4o&index=2
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Facebook — /unpackedmedia
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Sources:
-“Dozens of Golan Druze protest on 39th anniversary of Israeli annexation.” The Jerusalem Post, 14 February 2021.
-youtube.com/watch?v=UkWrA9tcJkM. CBN News, 7 August 2024.
-youtube.com/watch?v=xdmS9HNq7kA. i24NEWS English, 6 November 2023.
-“Golan silent minority would trade the land.” JWeekly, 7 April 2000.
-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.
“youtube.com/watch?v=_E1WE9m1UiI. Reuters, 14 May 2025.
-youtube.com/watch?v=r84OlWeJszs. NPR, 24 May 2025.
-youtube.com/watch?v=U23i9jrAIlc. Mansur Ashkar, 25 April 2025.
-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.
-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
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!
youtube.com/UNPACKED?sub_confirmation=1
Recommended video — Who are the Palestinians Living in Israel? | Unpacked
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.
-youtube.com/watch?v=UkWrA9tcJkM. CBN News, 7 August 2024.
-youtube.com/watch?v=xdmS9HNq7kA. i24NEWS English, 6 November 2023.
-“Golan silent minority would trade the land.” JWeekly, 7 April 2000.
-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.
“youtube.com/watch?v=_E1WE9m1UiI. Reuters, 14 May 2025.
-youtube.com/watch?v=r84OlWeJszs. NPR, 24 May 2025.
-youtube.com/watch?v=U23i9jrAIlc. Mansur Ashkar, 25 April 2025.
-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.
-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
