Druze Community in Israel

THE DRUZE COMMUNITY IN ISRAEL
STATE MEDAL 5763/2003

Almost a thousand years have passed since the Druze first made their mark on the map of history as bearers of a new religion and philosophy. During this period, they have had to demonstrate untold bravery, resourcefulness and wisdom in order to maintain their identity and preserve their community. Their lifestyle is uniquely characterized by their religion, with most of its principles kept secret, their patriarchal structure based on deep family ties, solidarity among the members of the community and their system of social values, based on modesty, honesty, bravery, hospitality and physical labor. Close to 100,000 Druze currently reside in Israel, the majority of them in the villages of the Galilee. Binding their destiny to that of the State of Israel, many members of the community have attained high-level positions in political and military spheres.

Obverse: The portrait of Sheikh Amin Tarif, the admired spiritual leader from 1928-1993; the Sheikh's motto "We are all brothers" is inscribed to the left of the portrait, in Hebrew and in Arabic. The inscription "SHEIKH AMIN TARIF – DRUZE LEADER" appears in Hebrew and English along the bottom border of the medal and in Arabic along the upper border.

Reverse: The Tomb of Nebi Shu'aib (the prophet Jethro), the most sacred site for the Druze; the inscription "PROPHET SHUAIB-JETHRO" appears in Hebrew along the top border to the left and in Arabic to the right, The English version appears along the bottom border of the medal

Edge: State emblem with the words "STATE OF ISRAEL" inscribed in Hebrew on the right and in English on the left; the serial number.

Designer: Obverse Design: Aharon Shevo Reverse Design: Gamal Hassan from the Village of Julis

Engraving: Tidhar Dagan.

Mint: Bronze Medal: Hecht Products, Tel Aviv. Silver and Gold Medals: The Government Mint, Jerusalem.