The massacre of Druze children on the Golan, Israel mourns while world ignores.

By Jonathan Feldstein

In case you missed the news, Saturday afternoon Israel time, Hezbollah fired a rocket from one of its bases in southern Lebanon at Israel’s Golan Heights region, a region heavily populated by Druze residents. Tragically it hit a soccer pitch killing 12 kids and injuring many others.

In doing so, the Iranian-backed Islamist terror group committed many crimes over and above the wanton murder. As Prime Minister Netanyahu so poignantly articulated in his address to the US Congress last week:

 “This is not a clash of civilizations. It’s a clash between barbarism and civilization.”

The main differences in this latest attack on the Golan were the number of casualties, and the fact that they were Druze, not Jews.  

Over nearly 10 months, in addition to Hamas firing thousands of missiles and drones from Gaza, slaughtering 1200, raping and sexually mutilating many, and kidnapping more than 250 people to Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon has also fired thousands of rockets, missiles and drones at Israel, killing and wounding scores. Both are demonic. But Saturday’s attack was the largest number of casualties at any one time, from any one incident.

All of Israel is enraged.

Despite the magnitude of this massacre, cutting short Netanyahu’s US trip, many around the world may not have heard about it because with Arabs killing Druze rather than Jews killing Arabs, mainstream media was less interested. The facts complicated the preferred media narrative of blaming Jews!

The distance of the weapon fired at Israeli territory was so short that the 12 dead children, and dozens of others injured, did not have the time to get to one of the portable bomb shelters placed along the site of the soccer field where they were enjoying a quiet Saturday afternoon during their summer vacation.

Druze are an Arabic speaking minority. Their religion is somewhat secretive. While it is derived from Islam, they do not consider themselves Muslim, revering the biblical figure Jethro  (Moses’ father-in-law) as their prophet. As such, they are often discriminated against within the Arab/Islamic world and have a tradition of being loyal to the countries where they reside.

In Israel, they are loyal citizens, serving in the IDF, achieving senior ranks militarily and throughout Israeli society, often in numbers that are disproportionately high to their small percent of the population. Many Druze have fallen in the line of duty. Israeli Druze consider themselves to be cousins of the Jewish people, partly with their reverence for Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses.

Most Druze in the Golan find themselves in a complex situation not being Israeli citizens (their choice) but rather permanent residents following the Six Day War in 1967, when Israel took control of the Golan from Syria. Since Israel applied full Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, now fully recognized by the US, many Druze remain fearful to take Israeli citizenship lest they be accused of endorsing Israeli sovereignty and being seen as “traitors” in Syria to which this Golan community, historically, was once loyal to.

But make no mistake about it, the Golan Druze never want the Golan returned to Syria and as ties to Syria fade with time, are increasingly turning to Israel for citizenship. Israel views them as integrally part of the country, and their well-being and defense is no less important than for all the rest of the nearly 10 million Israelis. The massacre at the Golan Druze village of Majdal Shams was a shock to ALL Israelis.

While loyal to their respective countries and their governments, Druze are also fiercely tribal. Like Jews, when Druze anywhere suffer, Druze everywhere care. Of course, we have seen that clearly among the Israeli Druze since Saturday’s massacre, publicly advocating for the well-being of all Druze. But now, we are also seeing support from Syrian and Lebanese Druze who are publicly and unequivocally calling out Hezbollah, their supporters and, by implication, their own countries which have allowed this Iranian-backed Islamic extremists to gain strength and threaten them.

Hezbollah is armed and funded by Iran’s Islamic regime. Like Iran, Hezbollah does not distinguish between children or adults, soldiers or civilians, Jews, Moslems, Christians or Druze. On Saturday, Hezbollah terrorists brutally attacked and murdered a dozen Druze children and wounded dozens more, children whose only crime was going out to play soccer. Hezbollah knew full well they were firing their weapons at the second most populated city in the Golan. The carnage was no accident. It’s laughable that they and their Islamist defenders have gone out of their way not only to deny responsibility, but blame Israel.

The expectation of an Israeli response against Hezbollah was overwhelming, but with the concern that it might escalate the situation with Hezbollah and even Iran. Israelis and Druze in Lebanon are understandably nervous.

Events following have only affirmed the concerns and nervousness as the region braces for an escalation of unpredictable proportion.

Lest the Druze of Majdal Shams fall through the cracks with nobody around the world to care and advocate for them, the Genesis 123 Foundation has launched a campaign to show love and compassion, to express condolences from all over the world, and help materially however we can. (Visit: Love.genesis123.co)

People of conscience can send prayers and condolences that will be printed and delivered to the families. Just as the Druze in Israel are loyal, an essential part of the diverse Israeli mosaic, Israel’s friends around the world can show their love and support today for the grieving families now, and no matter what comes next by way of the war that may escalate tomorrow.

*Feature picture:
Burying Children. Mourners attend the funeral in Majdal Shams of Druze children killed by a Hezbollah rocket fired from Lebanon, July 28, 2024. (Photo by Ayal Margolin/Flash90)

About the writer:

Jonathan Feldstein ­­­­- President of the US based non-profit Genesis123 Foundation whose mission is to build bridges between Jews and Christians – is a freelance writer whose articles appear in The Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, Townhall, NorthJersey.com, Algemeiner Jornal, The Jewish Press, major Christian websites and more.

While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).