IDF to disband Druze-only unit after 41 years

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot on Monday decided to disband the IDF's Druze-only unit, the Sword Battalion, 41 years after its inception.

The IDF said the decision followed lengthy deliberations and extensive preparatory work, as well as consultations with the heads of the Druze community.

Recent data indicate that the majority of Druze recruits explicitly ask to serve in other combat units, with only 5% of Druze recruits expressing a preference for the Sword Battalion, formally titled the Infantry's 299th Battalion. Only 19% of all Druze recruits are currently assigned to the unit.

"Over the past few years these youths have told us, in no uncertain terms, that they prefer serving in the 'greater' IDF, not just in the Druze battalion. Currently, we practically have to force them to serve in the battalion," a senior IDF officer told Israel Hayom Monday.

The 299th Battalion currently numbers 400 soldiers out of the 2,300 Druze serving in the military, 1,500 of them as career officers.

The military will not assign soldiers to the battalion past July 2015, and will gradually reassign its soldiers to other combat units once its current deployment ends. Career officers serving in the battalion will not be dismissed, and the IDF said new positions will be found for all of them.

The process of integrating Sword Battalion servicemen in other military units is expected to conclude in September.

The IDF plans to build a special heritage site in northern Israel to preserve the unit's illustrious legacy and honor the memory of the 31 Sword Battalion soldiers killed in Israel's wars.

Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said Monday the decision "reflects the fact that the IDF facilitates the integration of every soldier, regardless of their origin. The integration of Druze soldiers in the ranks of the IDF is a stellar example of that.

"The decision to disband the unit was made after we realized that Druze recruits no longer wish to serve in a specific homogenous framework, but would rather serve in all IDF units. Their desire to assume senior military positions is significant and commendable. It is indicative of the love they feel for their homeland, and the [Druze] community's leadership."

Former Givati Brigade Commander Brig. Gen. Imad Fares welcomed the move.

"This is a courageous decision that should have been made a decade ago," he told Army Radio.

Fares said the decision was "the greatest vote of confidence" the military could show Druze youth, "who will now be able to join any unit, according to their abilities and wishes."

Former Druze MK Salah Tarif (Labor) said he "trusts the chief of staff and the IDF will do what's best for the Druze youth."

Tarif said that while at the time of its inception the battalion was vital, "today's [Druze] youth are Israelis through and through. The IDF is a [social] melting pot and there's no longer any reason to have a Druze-only unit. I don't think the IDF should have units that cater to specific ethnic groups. Disbanding this battalion is the right thing to do, and it's a badge of honor for the [Druze] community."

Likud MK Ayoob Kara disagreed, saying that disbanding the battalion would undermine the unique heritage of one of the IDF's most important units.

"I support the integration of Druze youth in society, but the IDF should not disband this battalion," he said. "I plan to ask the defense minister to reassign the battalion to one of the Infantry Corps' elite units, so to preserve its framework, name, and badge, which are an important part of the IDF's past and future."

Yisrael Beytenu MK Hamad Amar also lamented the decision.

"A historic and sad decision was made Monday, to disband one of the oldest, most important military units, with which almost every Druze home in Israel has ties," he said. "I have asked the Knesset speaker to call an urgent Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee hearing to further review the move, and how it could impact Druze youths' future military service."

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