Professor Zvi Sever highlights the urgent challenges faced by the Druze community due to environmental crises, geopolitical shifts, and an emerging Islamic empire. The precarious situation risks their survival and cultural identity, particularly for those in Lebanon and Syria. He advocates for a strategic document to reinforce Druze identity, improve decision-making, and outline long-term goals in response to these critical threats.

1. Written by Professor Zvi Sever, Associate Professor at the University of Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A., former
bureau chief of the director of the Ministry of Education in Israel. From the years 2005-2008, Professor Sever was
in charge of overseeing the academic advancement project for the Druze Community.
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The Druze are in urgent need of strategic deployment in this era of instability
by Professor Zvi Sever
December 26, 2013
This century—the twenty-first century—we will continue to experience unprecedented
environmental catastrophes on the local and global scale. These will include frightening
phenomena such as climate change and global warming (resulting in drought and scarcity of
potable water in the), pandemics, and increasing natural disasters (e.g., tsunamis, floods and
earthquakes). The urgent need to cope with these environmental crises will be neither unique nor
advantageous to the Druze, and they will be forced to confront them along with the rest of
Humanity.
Two other events related to Humanity are now underway: a religious event and a secular one that
is integral to economy and security. The religious event is occurring in the Old World and it
centers mainly on the flourishing of Islam and the emergence of the 'Islamic Empire', which
will encompass most of Africa, Europe, Asia and Oceania.1
The secular event will focus on the
departure of the United States from the Old World, the withdrawal of all troops back to
America and the probable diversion of currency reserves resulting in the formation of a new
economy, i.e., space economy.
The second event, disengagement of the U.S. from our region, is weakening the State of Israel
and therefore dismantling the political leverage of the Druze in Israel. However, the first Human
event, the 'Islamic Empire', which is already underway, is related to their very survival and
uncertain future. The process of disintegration of the countries in the region and their
replacement by religious and ethnic affiliations2
is directly threatening the continued survival of
the Israeli Druze and their brethren. This included the Druze in Lebanon and Syria, who have
been suffering from dissolution in Lebanon as they being pushed out by a religious entity in the
south (Hezbollah) and a similar phenomenon is also occurring now in Syria.
The Druze community suffers from a geographical split (they reside in Syria, Lebanon and
1
Sever, Zvi, 2007. The Emerging Islamic Empire, 24 page booklet that can be found in Google under “Sever,
Islamic Empire”.
2
Sever, Zvi, 2011. The Developmental Stages of the Islamic Empire, one page that can be found in Google under
“Sever, Islamic Empire”.

2. Written by Professor Zvi Sever, Associate Professor at the University of Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A., former
bureau chief of the director of the Ministry of Education in Israel. From the years 2005-2008, Professor Sever was
in charge of overseeing the academic advancement project for the Druze Community.
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Israel) and problems associated with their precarious location, the volatile region of the Middle
East.
Given these conditions of grave uncertainty in this region, the very survival of the Druze
population remains in a tenuous position and appears to be headed towards an inevitable crisis.
The essence of the crisis will be characterized by physical danger to the community and would
affect the Druze in Lebanon and Syria. They may be forced to abandon their traditions and
convert to Islam. Consequently, the Druze in Israel will no longer be able to maintain contact
with their brethren in these two countries.
At this time, the Druze should avoid as much as possible their exposure to coincidence, by
"future management" and by adopting a strategic approach, based upon the results of intelligent
management of short-term goals and the establishment of long-term geopolitical ones.
It is conceivable that the Israeli Druze minority is now in a condition that parallels the Jewish
minority in Palestine during World War II. The usual self-criticism amongst the Jews of Israel
reflects the belief that the Jewish community neglected its brethren, those who were groaning
under the Legions of the Third Reich in Germany during the planning and implementation stages
leading up to the mass extermination of European and North African Jewry.
History does not always act according to what is considered as “normative”; therefore, there is a
need to alter it, in order to improve the present and ensure the future of the Druze population. If
we analyze the geopolitical aspects of the problem, we may find that the Druze are now at a
crossroads, a critical turning point. In my opinion, the only way to secure their future and
maximize the ability of Israeli Druze to survive must include a strategic document.
Formulating a strategic document for the Druze community in Israel should probably examine,
among other things, the following issues:
• Strengthening the resilience of Druze identity and a commitment to its history and heritage
• Improving the quality of decision-making amongst the Druze
• Envisioning long-term geopolitical aims and seeking out friends and allies3
.
3
Wald, S. S. (Ed.), 2013. Rise and Decline of Civilizations: Lessons for the Jewish people. Yedioth Books
Publishing House. Shimon Peres (Introduction), page 487.