Druze

Druze is an Arab-speaking ethnic group in Israel. Most of them live in the Carmel, the Galilee, and the Golan Heights. They have a unique religion that split from Shiite Islam in the 11th century. Today, 145,000 Druze live in Israel, of whom 120,000 are citizens of the State of Israel, and the rest refuse to receive Israeli citizenship. One of the beliefs of the Druze community is loyalty to the territories of the country in which they live. Therefore, as a result, most Druze enlists in the IDF, because they believe that their religious beliefs and Arab ethnicity are separate from their political identity.

Circassias

They are a Caucasian people consisting of 12 tribes and live mainly in the North Caucasus in Russia, Turkey and the rest of the Middle East. The Circassia’s are Sunni Muslims (not Arabs in their nationality). The culture and tradition of the Circassians is characterized by conservatism alongside influences from Western culture. In Israel, there is a small community of Circassias living mainly in two villages in the Galilee: Kfar Kama in the Lower Galilee and Rihaniya in the Upper Galilee.

The Circassias constitute about 0.06% of the population of the State of Israel. In 1958, community representatives applied to Ben-Gurion to serve in the IDF. Ben-Gurion agreed and since then the Circassia men have served in the IDF.

Bedouins

The Bedouins are Arab ethnic groups in Israeli society and they believe in the religion of Islam. The Bedouin constitute about 3.5% of the Israeli population. About 250,000 Bedouin live in the Negev region (southern Israel), most of them residents of the city of Rahat (68,000) and in permanent localities. Today, the main issue that the Bedouin community deals with is the regulation of settlement issues in the Negev. In addition, this group is exempt from enlisting in the IDF, but a small percentage of the population chooses to enlist in the IDF.

Armenians

Already at the end of the 4th century there was an Armenian community in Jerusalem, and since then there has been a continuum of Armenian settlement in the city. At the end of the Byzantine period, there were 70 Armenian institutions and churches in Jerusalem. Armenians are an ancient nation and ethnic group of Indo-European descent, originating in the area south of the Black Sea. Their number in the world is estimated at 8 million, with the exception of Armenians living in large concentrations in Russia, the United States, France, Georgia, and various cities in the Middle East. In Israel there 10,000 Armenians, most of them living in Jerusalem

Samaritans

Samaritans are a unique ethnic-religious people and group that claims to be a direct continuation of the children of Israel. Most Samaritans today live on Mount Gerizim near Nablus and the city of Holon. The language of the Samaritans is similar to ancient Hebrew, and their way of life is based on a unique version of the Torah. At the beginning of the fifth century, the Samaritans numbered over a million people scattered throughout Israel. Today the Samaritans constitute about 1,000 people living in the territory of Israel and the West Bank.