Hmmm…
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s military chief is pleading to keep politics out of the army amid rising protests by the Druze minority against a recently passed law that enshrines the state’s Jewish character and which critics say undermines its democratic values.
Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot has called on “all commanders and soldiers to keep controversial political issues” out of the military. In a statement Wednesday, he reaffirmed “our shared mission and camaraderie” with the Druze, an Arabic-speaking minority that serves in the military.
Like other minorities, the Druze have been outraged by the law, which they say renders them second-class citizens. Two Druze officers recently said they would stop serving in response to it, sparking fears of widespread insubordination.
The Druze, who follow an offshoot of Shiite Islam, have managed to survive in a turbulent region by showing allegiance to their country of residence — sometimes at the cost of fighting other Druze on the battlefield. In Israel, they have been fiercely loyal to the state and have risen to high office in the military and politics.
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