TEL-AVIV, Israel – Early evening, Wednesday, December 5, 2017, at the Pastel Restaurant, in Tel Aviv, the Board of the Druze Veterans Association (DVA) for the advancement of the status of the Israeli-Druze soldier met in a show of support. They acknowledge the new dutiful goal of the DVA, to represent the State of Israel in public diplomacy arena throughout the world, especially to counter the BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanction Israel) movement.
Among the participants were senior Israeli public figures, headed by former Defense Minister Moshe Arens, Guest of Honor Mr. Hezi Kahlo, Director General of the Bank of Israel, Prof. Shimon Shitrit, former Minister of Justice and Religions, Shlomo Gerdman, Chairman of the Forum of Israel’s High-Tech Directors, Mr. Yair Freiman, Representative of the Ministry of Strategic Affairs and Information, Mr. Amitai Levi, retired Police Superintendent, Brigadier General Dr. Anwar Saeb, Col. Dr. Anan Wahabeh, Mr. Ashraf Halabi, Chairman of the Board of Young DVA, Mr. Kuftan Halabi, DVA Executive Director and Druze members of DVA Board and other supporters.
After seventy years of the then – ‘Blood Alliance,’ today ‘Life Alliance,’ the Druze of Israel are considered to be a significant lifeline in Israeli society.
As its name, the goal of the DVA for the Advancement of the Status of the Israeli-Druze Soldier, established in 2010 by Koftan Halabi, is to help promote the status of the Israeli-Druze soldier. When the State of Israel saw the DVA’s goodness of work, the state saw fit to appoint the organization to officially represent the State of Israel in the world in its war against the unjust boycott movement, BDS.
Even before the official international recognition and the declaration of the state, the Druze in then Palestine-Eretz Yisrael were members of the Yishuv and shoulder-to-shoulder worked with and protected the Jewish community from the Arab mob and riots.
This loyalty led to the signing of an alliance of equal rights – obligations and benefits – between the Jewish state and the Druze community in the Land of Israel. This important alliance has gone from strength to strength.
Israel’s Druze population of some 120,000, most of whom live in the northern part of the Jewish State, swore to unconditional unity with the Jewish citizens of Israel, and more than once they proved their loyalty with their blood. The cooperation between Israel and the Druze in Israel is an unmatched alliance. Only the Druze of Israel fight the wars of the Jews and unconditionally defend and strengthen the state.
And here comes into play gratitude – an expression of emotion or a position of appreciation – which is considered one of the rules of politeness in many societies. The duty of the Israelis is to help and promote the alliance of life with the Druze, among other things, includes advancing the integration of the Druze soldiers in all arenas’ of life in the State of Israel – administration, academia, employment, hi-tech and start-up incubators, etc.
Yashar Koach-blessing to Koftan Halabi, the engine and the constant active force, on stage and behind, of the DVA, for the Advancement of the Status of the Israeli-Druze Soldier, whose work representing the State of Israel is just short of holy.
