Members of Israel’s Druse and Circassian communities were held back by security officials at the Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday morning. Hundreds of protestors tried charging into the PM’s compound as the weekly cabinet meeting was taken place.

“In wartime, Jews and Druse are equal” shouted Druse community leaders, emphasizing their sons are in the most elite combat units alongside Jews, yet they do not receive a fair slice of the government pie, demanding equal rights with their Jewish co-citizens. Among the protestors were Druse community and council leaders. Minister of Minority Affairs (Labor) Dr. Avishai Braverman told protest leaders that he will work towards improving their plight.

They have been maintaining a protest vigil tent outside the PM’s Office for the last weeks, but prior to the civil disobedience, they have not received media coverage for their plight. A number of protestors were injured lightly and treated on the scene and released.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)