A gathering yesterday near the Syrian-Golan Heights border planned as a memorial meeting for Golan Heights Druze leader Kamal Kanj, who died a week ago, turned into a political meeting when Lebanon Druze leader Walid Jumblatt mounted a platform on the Syrian side of the frontiers and addressed the crowd through powerful loud speakers.
Jumblatt addressed several thousand Druze from Israel, the Golan Heights and Syria who gathered on both sides of the barbed wire fence, beneath a United Nations observation post, saying that the fighting in Lebanon was not only for the Shouf mountain region but for all Lebanon.
“I warn you, the U.S., France, Italy, stop fighting us. You will be defeated like the French were beaten in Lebanon by the Druze at the beginning of this century,” he said.
Khaled Al-Faum, the PLO representative in Syria, told the crowd; “We have a blood brotherhood with the Druze, until all occupied land is liberated. We shall free all of Palestine.”
From among the thousands of Israeli Druze on the Israeli side of the border, from Golan, Galilee and the Carmel range, there were shouts of support for Syrian President Hafez Assad and slogans attacking Israel such as “Palestine is Arab,” and “the Golan is Syrian.”
Meanwhile, Israeli Druze met in Galilee today to formulate plans to send food, clothing and medicine to their Druze brethren in Lebanon. Spokesmen said they intend to ask Israeli officials to allow the transfer of supplies collected. Israeli officials indicated permission would probably be granted if requested.
Mohammad Ramal, a spokesman for the Israeli Druze committee working to collect food, medicine and clothing, said the Druze in Israel were not asked for this help but decided on it at their own initiative. He said the assistance was intended for Lebanon’s Druze refugees who had fled from Phalangist-held villages and were not seeking refuge in the Shouf mountains.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
