Dozens of Druze Israelis on Saturday morning protested the construction of wind turbines in the Golan Heights.
Thousands of Druze have participated in an emergency conference called by their community's leaders in Kafr Yasif. The head of the Kisra-Sumei Council spoke in Hebrew, blaming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"Netanyahu sent [National Security Minister Itamar] Ben Gvir (Otzma Yehudit) to declare war on the Druze," he claimed. "Who is Netanyahu? We will teach him who the Druze community are. We are ready for war."
The community's spiritual leader, Sheikh Muwafak Tarif, spoke at the event, warning that if the Israeli government does not respond positively to the Druze community's demands, "there will be a response that Israel has not seen to this day."
Sheikh Tarif also called to immediately stop the construction of the turbines, cancel the fines and the demolition orders for the homes which were built in the Druze towns, and cancel the "racist laws" which he claims hurt the Druze: The Kaminitz Law, Nationality Law, and Zionism Law.
According to Kan News, while the community leader was speaking, shouts were heard against Ben Gvir, including, "Ben Gvir ya khakir (despicable)," and, "With spirit and with blood, we will redeem the Golan."
In a comprehensive article on the issue published on June 23, investigative reporter Atara Gorman of the Hebrew Makor Rishon newspaper wrote:
"The turbine project is a national infrastructure enterprise decided on by the government in 2019, and is the combined initiative of the Druze residents of the Golan Heights, the heads of the sector and Golan Heights council heads. It will provide electrictiy to 50,000 households annually. The privately owned land is on the Israel-Syria border and was rented for a 20 year period from the Druze owners, each of whom has already received 60-100,000 NIS, depending on the sze of their holding, over the past three years...The Syrians n the other side of the border, did not look uypon the project favorably and began stirring up protest. The Syrian Druze on the other side of the border sent video clips and other messages to their fellow Druze in Israel, calling on them to rebel violently against the project which they claim is on conquered Syrian land."