The IDF on Monday shut down the Druse 299 Sword infantry Battalion, saying the move is a reflection of the desire of Druse conscripts to join the wider IDF, and not be limited in their unit options.
A military source said the decision was taken by Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot following consultations with the heads of the Druse-Israeli community and former battalion commanders.
"Our wish is to fulfill the wants of Druse youths, who clearly want to integrate into the wider IDF, and not be in their own battalion," the source said. He paid tribute to the battalion's "magnificent" combat legacy, adding that a commemoration site for its casualties will be set up.
"Druse youths eligible for conscription mainly want to join combat units, in addition to intelligence, communications, and combat support units," the source said. "Ninety nine percent of conscripts surveyed said they wanted to join the wider IDF." The Druse community has traditionally played key roles in the IDF, and today, 80% of its pre-draft youths say they wish to join the IDF, compared to 75% of Jewish youths.
The source described that figure as a "certificate of honor" for the Druse community.
"We want to ensure that the soldiers receive what they want," the source said.
The coming July draft cycle will see the elimination of the 299 Battalion as an option, and by September, the unit, which serves under the Northern Command, will be disbanded.
All of the unit's career soldiers, officers, and non-commissioned officers will be moved to new units, the source stressed. "No one will be fired," he added. "This will strengthen the IDF. It will hasten integration, and we will see the effect this will have on Israeli society in a few years. More people will know the Druse community."
The Northern Command will receive substitute operational forces, the source said.
Currently, the 299 Battalion has 400 Druse soldiers, out of a total of 2300 Druse serving in the IDF. Of those, 1500 are career soldiers, officers, or non-commissioned officers.
"There is already a trend among many Druse youths who say that they wish to attend non-sectoral high schools and integrate. The fact is that they want the same in the army," said the source. "We must listen to this.
The Sword Battalion's origins go back to the 1948 War of Independence, when the Druse joined battles against invading Arab League armies, forming a Minorities Company in the nascent IDF.
The Minorities Company evolved into a battalion in the 1950s, when the government extended the mandatory national draft to Israeli Druse.
In the 1970s, Druse soldiers began joining all army units, a process that today sees them integrated in and commanding vital military forces. The appointment of a Druse commander to head the Golani Brigade, Col. Rasan Alian, is one prominent example.