Mandi Safdie, chairman of the Druze for Israel Forum, issued a call to Druze residents of the Golan this week asking them to vote only for parties that oppose giving the Golan to Syria. Safdie, a candidate on the HaTikva list, said only parties in which every candidate has pledged to maintain Israeli sovereignty in the Golan should be considered.
By supporting politicians committed to keeping and developing the Golan, “we will succeed in building a defensive shield around the Golan that will not allow prime ministers to make concessions regarding the Golan,” Safdie said. “Thus we will restore tranquility to Golan residents and end the uncertainty that has plagued the area for the past 15 years.”
In a letter to heads of Druze communities in the Golan, Safdie warned, “Before elections, candidates come to the Golan to ask for your support, and after the elections they forget about the Golan and its residents, and many of them support a full withdrawal from the Golan.”
He told Druze residents of the Golan to learn from residents of Gush Katif and northern Samaria: “We saw a precedent... where those who supported the expulsion were MKs who were elected by the same population that was expelled from its home.”
Beside pledging to keep the Golan Israeli, worthy candidates must pledge to support the area in other ways as well, Safdie wrote. Among the promises Golan voters should seek are commitments to build new cities, expand existing towns and promote Golan tourism in Israel and abroad, he said.
"I pledge loyalty to the Golan and its residents, but what about the rest of the candidates and parties who request your support?” Safdie concluded.
Safdie recently made headlines when he appealed to IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi not to use Druze soldiers to expel Jews from the Peace House in Hevron, warning that such a move could undermine Druze-Jewish unity. He has also expressed support for a large military operation in Gaza, and earlier this year called for IDF commanders who say there is no military solution to rocket fire from Gaza to be dismissed.