LIFE IN ISRAEL

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Arab and Jewish students meet at a Givat Haviva educational center.

Druze Attraction

The town of Julis is seeking Soviet
Jewish emigres to improve its economy.

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CARL ALPERT

Special to The Jewish News

T

he Druze of Israel,
some 80,000 in num-
ber, live on Mt. Cannel
and in some 16 villages in the
Galilee as well as on the
Golan Heights. The Israeli
Druze have been loyal to
Israel from the very beginn-
ings of the state, and their
members are drafted into the
Israel Defense Forces, just
like the Jews. In the spring
one can always identify a
Druze village by the large
number of Israeli flags which
fly there around In-
dependence Day.
Yet the Druze have not
always been given the equal
treatment to which they are
entitled, and they continue to
voice complaints, seeking
redress. With the exception of
a few extremists among them,

Carl Alpert writes from
Haifa, Israel.

their loyalty remains
unquestioned.
Of late, the Druze village of
Julis, poulation 2,500 and
located six miles east of Acre,
has come into the news in
connection with the reception
and integration of new im-
migrants from the Soviet
Union.
Lack of sufficient housing
for the newcomers? Why not
settle them in a town like
Julis, where there is plenty of
room, economic opportunities,
and a friendly population,
declared Salah Tarif, head of
the Julis Local Council. He is
a member of the same family
as Sheikh Amin Tarif,
supreme religious leader of
the Druze and president o'
the Druze High Court, whose
center is in Julis.
The same town was home to
Sheikh Jaber Mu'adi, former
member of the Knesset and
deputy minister of
communicaticns.
Historical records show that
Julis was once a great center

of Jewish population in
talmudic times, in the Middle
Ages, and during the Ot-
toman period.
"We are all equal in this
country," Salah Tarif said, "so
what should be more natural
than that we should welcome
the new immigrants with
open arms. I am sure that if
the roles were reversed, the

A public relations
ploy would help a
Druze village.

Jews would also welcome us
in the same way."
Mr. Tarif was accused of
making a satirical political
statement. "Not at all," the
Druze replied. "I served in
the Israeli army for eight
year, and I consider this as
the homeland of both our
peoples."
But what if the government
would take up you ,: offer and
actually send you a large

number of Russian im-
migrants? "That would be
just fine," said Mr. Tarif. "At
last there would be a develop-
ment program in our town.
Finally things would begin
moving.
"Just imagine if I were to
approach the government to-
day and asked for funds to
help set up an industrial
area. Do you think I would
get a favorable reply? But if
a thousand Russian Jews
were to make their home
here, that would be a different
matter entirely."
A critic probed further.
"Despite the fact that they
would be settling on your
village land?" he asked.
But the council head had
his reply. When various
Jewish settlements were set
up in this area, they thought
nothing of taking over our
lands, he charged. So, if Rus-
sian Jews are brought here, at
least we should get
something out of it as well.
"I really mean it," Mr. Tarif

went on. "Try me and see. If
I were to object to settling
Russian Jews in Julis, you
would probably shake your
head and say, 'Just what I ex-
pected.' But when I turn
around and tell you the new
immigrants will be welcome,
you don't believe me. I must
say, you Jews are a com-
plicated people."
One last attempt was made
to draw the Druze out further.
"In what language would
your people speak to the Rus-
sians?"
Mr. Tarif was not fazed. "In
the same language the
Moroccans of Maalot use in
speaking to the same Rus-
sians," he said.
The item was a bit of
curiosity in the Israel press,
but it could well be that the
clever and practical Mr. Tarif
could, if his invitation is ac-
cepted, bring about an
economic revolution in the
town of Julis from which all
its inhabitants would benefit
enormously. ❑

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

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