These schools build Druze Israeli identity, one student at a time

The Amal Educational Network runs several Druze-majority schools in northern Israel, designed to cultivate a strong Druze identity while preparing students for active participation in Israel's diverse society. The Amal high school in Yanuh Jat, for example, features a welcoming atmosphere with banners displaying quotes in Hebrew, Arabic, and English.

Principal Wageeh Barakat aims to make students feel "at home" in the school, which serves children from villages along Israel's northern border. Amal's network includes 50 affiliates, ranging from vocational schools for marginalized populations to science and technology institutions. Its Druze schools cater to the Arabic-speaking Druze minority, numbering about 150,000 people in Israel.

These educational institutions focus on teaching the community's history, traditions, and values, integrated with broader civic studies. This approach helps Druze students understand their own heritage and grasp the principles of democracy within a diverse society, emphasizing equal rights, mutual recognition, and shared responsibility across different identities.

The Druze community in Israel is known for its loyalty to the state and high rates of military service. The recent years of conflict have underscored the bonds between the Druze and their Jewish neighbors, particularly after two senior Druze IDF officers from Yanuh Jat, both alumni of the school, were killed in the war in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas invasion. Daily life in Druze communities in Western Galilee has also been disrupted by rocket fire and cross-border attacks from Lebanon.

Amal schools also work with other minority communities in Israel, including Bedouins and Christians, to help them explore and affirm their identities as both members of distinct cultural or religious groups and as citizens of Israel. This dual focus on communal identity and national citizenship is particularly relevant given the ongoing regional tensions and the unique position of the Druze community.

“

I want students to feel like they are at home here.