After the wave of naturalization: thousands of Druze in the Golan voted for the Knesset for the first time
Thousands of Druze in the Golan Heights voted for the Knesset for the first time, following an unprecedented wave of naturalization. In Ein Qiniyye, the number of voters jumped from 31 to 386. Yisrael Beiteinu received the most votes in the four Druze villages, thanks to the placement of MK Hamad Amar. The naturalization rate rose from about 17% in July 2022 to about 46% in November 2026.
Thousands of Druze in the Golan Heights voted for the Knesset for the first time in the recent elections, following an unprecedented wave of naturalization. In Ein Qiniyye, a small village on the slopes of Mount Hermon, the number of voters rose from 31 in the previous elections to 386 this time – a jump of more than twelvefold. Council head Wa'il Mughrabi attributes the change to the Arab Spring, developments in Syria, and the massacre in Majdal Shams in the summer of 2024. According to him, residents understand that Israel is the only country that supported them. Yisrael Beiteinu, led by Avigdor Lieberman, received the highest number of votes in the four Druze villages, partly due to the placement of MK Hamad Amar, a member of the Druze community, in seventh place on the list. In second place was Yashar, led by Gadi Eisenkot. According to data from the Population and Immigration Authority, nearly half of the residents in the four villages – 12,179 out of 26,238 – hold Israeli citizenship, compared to about 17% in July 2022. Dr. Salim Barik, an expert on Druze society, welcomes the trend but calls for greater investment in infrastructure and employment.