After over four decades of service, the IDF is dismantling its Druse unit known as “Cherev” (Sword). The unit is comprised exclusively of members of the Druse community. Today, about 5% of Druse inductees apply to serve in the Druse-only unit, with most preferring to integrate into the regular units. According to IDF officials, today, only 19% of all Druse recruits are currently assigned to the unit.
IDF senior commander explain that today, the numbers speak for themselves, that most Druse soldier wish to integrate into the regular IDF and not remain in the segregated unit. As of July 2015, no new soldiers will be assigned to the battalion and in time, the soldiers serving in the battalion will be reassigned. The 299th Battalion currently numbers 400 soldiers out of a total of 2,300 Druse serving in the military. Interestingly, 1,500 of that number are career officers.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
Segregated units are where you put people whom you dislike and don’t fully trust (suchas the British “Native regiments”, the American “Colored regiments”, or the Israeli haredi unit). The zionists love the Druze so why discriminate against them.
akuperma: I know you’re smarter than the conclusions you often make. The Israeli Chareidi units were created by Chareidi request, not to segregate them from others.
I don’t know the history of the Druze soldiers, but the commander of the Golani Brigade is Druze and there are Druze soldiers at every level of the IDF, including General.
Those “segregated” units were not a result of discrimination, but at the group’s request. It was probably the same thing with the Druze.
In any case, it’s a far cry from the American “Colored regiments.”