Golan Druze Embrace Israeli Politics, Favor Lieberman Over Netanyahu
Translated & summarized from Haaretz by baba
Druze residents in the Golan Heights voted in Israeli elections for the first time after receiving citizenship, with thousands participating and increasing turnout by over 20%. Avigdor Lieberman's party won the majority of votes in these villages, surpassing expectations of support for Netanyahu. The shift was influenced by events in Syria and internal political factors.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Golan Druze voted for the first time, showing increased political engagement.
- Avigdor Lieberman's party won the majority of votes in these villages.
- Turnout increased by over 20% following events in Syria.
- Residents historically declared loyalty to Syria before this shift.
- A local council member suggested Ben-Gvir's actions impacted Netanyahu's support.
Recent Knesset election results in the Druze villages of the northern Golan Heights reveal a significant political shift, with thousands of residents who received Israeli citizenship in the past two years voting for the first time. These villages, including Majdal Shams, Buqata, Masada, and Ein Qiniya, had historically declared loyalty to Syria for decades. The recent surge in voting, described as an "Israelization" of the Druze community, was accelerated by the massacre of their brethren in Syria, leading to a more than 20% increase in voter turnout.
Despite expectations that Prime Minister Netanyahu might receive support due to Israeli intervention in Syria, Avigdor Lieberman's party garnered the majority of votes in these specific villages. Gadi Eisenkot followed in second place, albeit by a considerable margin. A local council member in Majdal Shams commented that "Ben-Gvir hurt Bibi here," suggesting internal political dynamics influenced the outcome.
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