Israeli Druze Organize Blood Drive for Syria’s Wounded

In a powerful display of solidarity, Israel’s Druze community has organized a blood drive for wounded Druze in Syria. On Sunday, Magen David Adom (MDA) opened a temporary donation center in the northern Druze town of Isfiya, where dozens of men and women gathered to donate blood for those injured in the deadly clashes across the border.

Wafa Rachruch, who oversees the temporary blood donation facility in Isfiya, noted the unprecedented response. “There is no way to transfer the blood samples to Syria, at least for now, but we hope our wounded brothers will be allowed to receive medical treatment in Israel,” he said. Within two hours of opening, 40 blood samples had already been collected ten times the usual turnout at MDA stations in Druze villages.

For many, the donation was deeply personal. Rami, a local resident who came with his teenage daughter, shared, “It’s for our brothers. All the Druze are family. They are my brothers.”

The initiative was led by Saleh Badriya, CEO of the Israeli-Druze Center in Isfiya, whose own relatives were killed during the violence in Suweida. Last week, Badriya joined hundreds of Druze who crossed into Syria in a powerful act of solidarity with their co-religionists, who were massacred by Bedouin militias and regime forces. “Sunni jihadists view us Druze as renegades, and I am not sure at all the new leader can do anything about it, even if he wanted to,” Badriya said, voicing concern for those left behind.

The recent clashes in southern Syria have left around 1,100 dead. A fragile ceasefire is currently holding, and Israel has begun delivering humanitarian supplies to the region, responding to growing calls from Israel’s Druze community to step up efforts to protect the 40,000 Druze living under Israeli security near the border.

The bond between Israel’s Jewish and Druze communities runs deep. The Druze, numbering around 152,000 in Israel, serve in senior public and military roles, with their alliance famously known as a “covenant of blood.” The Druze people trace their lineage to Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, and though they speak Arabic, they are not Muslim. Their loyalty to Israel dates back to the 1948 War of Independence, when Druze in the Galilee and Mount Carmel regions allied with the Jewish community and chose to integrate fully into Israeli society.

The unrest in Syria has shifted perspectives among the Golan Druze, many of whom once resisted Israeli citizenship but have since reevaluated their stance as Syria descends deeper into chaos. Israel, in turn, has taken steps to ensure regional stability, establishing a field hospital near Hader and preventing extremist forces from approaching its borders.

This blood drive is more than an act of humanitarian aid it is a testament to the enduring ties between Israel’s diverse communities and the values that unite them.

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