The ‘preservation of the brethren’ principle among Druze Intergenerational Groups in Israel

ABSTRACT This article examined whether Israel’s Druze society has fundamentally changed, as the literature on intergenerational conflicts suggests. Specifically, it explored the association between people’s attitudes towards the principle of ‘preservation of the brethren’ (Hifz al-Ikhwan) and (1) intergenerational groups and (2) community characteristics – an under-researched topic reflecting social solidarity. To this end, it constructed a new questionnaire targeting a sample of adult Druze from four communities. The statistical analysis did not show intergenerational conflict concerning people’s readiness to uphold this principle, demonstrating the lack of a fundamental societal change. This finding has practical implications for government institutions and community leaders striving to preserve the Druze community.

Druze communities (concentrated in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel) have witnessed increasing conflicts between modernity and tradition, a distance between the younger and older generations, and a new adherence to individualism.Given the multiplicity of identities, scholars have provided evidence of intergenerational tensions and the weakening of norms, social cohesion, and family relations in this society. 1These findings raise the question: How does the Druze society continue to exist?To address this question, this article considered solidarity as a variable, specifically through the principle of 'preservation of the brethren' (Hifz al-Ikhwan): a fundamental principle of the Druze religion, which holds community members responsible for each other's well-being. 2 The article sought to address two hypotheses: • The respondents' generation and attitudes towards the principle of preservation are negatively associated, such that the larger the age gap between respondents the lower their level of agreement on the value of Hifz al-Ikhwan.• The test cases have different attitudes towards the preservation of brethren, such that villages with a Druze minority express greater levels of agreement regarding this value compared with other villages.
By way of addressing these questions, we constructed a new questionnaire based on a reliable solidarity questionnaire adapted for the research population.The survey included Druze aged 20 years and older from four test communities selected via cluster sampling and random sampling in each cluster according to the accepted generational divisions.Statistical analysis compared the Silent Generation through Generation X and up to Generation Z.We then examined the association between respondents' generation and attitudes towards the preservation of brethren.We further compared four test cases to elucidate the effect of residential character on social solidarity regarding the preservation principle.As such, the article offers an empirical investigation of a specific variable in Druze society that has not been researched before despite its acknowledged importance in the literature.We examined the 'preservation of the brethren' principle as a value that reflects solidarity through two theoretical frameworks: the conflict approach and selected approaches to identity.The conflict approach views society as an arena of struggle among intergenerational groups, wherein the new generation undermines age-old conceptions and has different economic, political, and traditional interests from the previous generations. 3In Israel, for instance, Western external influences have weakened young men's attachment to their community and social hierarchy.Community elders can no longer satisfactorily answer the younger generation's questions about identity, partially owing to their religion's secrecy. 4Consequently, intergenerational conflict manifests in the misalignment between the conceptions and values of various generations.New generations' individualistic thinking differs from previous generations' collectivist mindset. 5Conflicts among age groups occur in factories, companies, and political parties, occasionally triggering a change in the agreed-upon societal hierarchy. 6These conflicts can occur not only among various groups but also within groups and between individuals and their group(s).Conflicts may cause clashes between norms and cultures, even within families -between parents and their children. 7very society has multiple inherent power centres and interests, and the struggle among them causes conflict and group rivalry. 8Conflicts with external groups positively influence both society and individuals by fostering cohesion and solidarity.Such conflicts define the boundaries between groups, establish individual and group identities, and strengthen group integration, member loyalty to group values, and existing authority relations.Conflict theory manifests at various levels: in relations between nations, political parties, minorities, and groups fighting for recognition and socioeconomic status. 9onceptually, research on the Druze has revolved around the issue of identity, which is affected by social and economic changes, and urban processes that undermine the family cell and traditional values. 10Studies on identity in Druze society have documented multiple identities, rifts between religious and secular people, contradictions between tradition and modernity, and loss of religious norms and principles, social cohesion, and the family. 11Identity has a historical dimension and is defined by identification, commitment, and obligation, which construct people's values, actions, and prohibitions, and place them within a certain narrative. 12Jung argued that the unconscious contains collective content accumulated through generations -as they inherit physical characteristics.Thus, just as collective consciousness exists, so does a collective unconscious comprising memories, beliefs, events, traumas, and specific behaviours and conceptions passed on from one generation to the next. 13This collective unconscious encompasses intergenerational experiences, which are ingrained in individuals as instincts and archetypes that elicit certain behaviours and reactions.The collective unconscious actively supplies the collective psychological content of a specific social group. 14

The Druze
Muwahidun (The Monotheists, The People of the Unity) is the original name of the Druze, and their byname is Banu Ma'ruf (Sons of Mercy).This ethnic religious group comprises two million members, concentrated primarily in the Middle East (Syria, Lebanon, and Israel), where they constitute a religious minority.The religion of Tawhid (literally, 'the unity and oneness of God'), disseminated in 1017-43, adheres to epistles written in the spirit of neoplatonic Greek philosophy. 15These are recorded in al-Hikma (The Book of Wisdom) and observed assiduously by its members. 16The Tawhid group was officially established in Egypt in 1017 during the reign of the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim Bi-Amr Allah, who proclaimed the dawn of a new era.After new adherents were officially barred from joining the religion in 1043, it became a closed esoteric group. 17Consequently, the Druze had to marry among themselves for a thousand years, creating a large family of sorts; to this day, Druze consider exogamy a serious transgression. 18awhid is a way of conduct, behaviour, and progress towards the 'mind', 'truth', and the love of the one God, a path of pure humanity and loyalty. 19or the Druze, to embark on the path of Tawhid, one must embrace seven khesal (qualities) and faraid _ (principles), or directions, as established in the epistles.These directions comprise conditions or preconditions meant to guide the believers and set them on the correct path: (1) S _ idq al-lisan, literally 'righteous tongue', meaning telling the truth and striving for justice; (2) Hifz _ al-Ikhwan, which is the principle of the preservation of brothers and sisters; (3) abandonment of the path of worship that does not exist, as well as falsehoods; (4) repudiation of evil, satanic influences, and tyranny; (5) Tawhid, unity with the one God in every era and time; (6) willingness to accept God's acts, whatever they may be; and (7) resignation to the edicts of the Lord, in private and public spheres.These seven directions complement one another. 20

Reincarnation
This is the belief in the transmigration of souls (Taqamus _ ) or the belief that the moment a person dies, the soul immediately passes to the body of a newborn Druze rather than to any other non-human body. 21The Druze believe that the soul is eternal, whereas the body is ephemeral -thus the term Taqamus, from the word qamis _ , which means 'shirt' in Arabic. 22onsequently, every Druze is aware that the souls of their beloved reside in the bodies of the family members of other Druze.This knowledge blunts the conflicts among families and strengthens the conception that the Druze are one large family.Thus, the sense of family is preserved and crosses the boundaries of the nuclear family. 23

Druze as minorities
In most societies, religious minorities experience violence and discrimination from the majority.Religious minorities have been compelled, at times, to conceal their religious and social identities out of fear for their lives and property, even adapting external customs and ceremonies accepted by the majority. 24In general, religious minorities are more likely to report being depressed and discriminated against, and commonly exhibit higher rates of migration.They may receive less social support, and experience more vulnerable socioeconomic statuses and increased prejudice and discrimination. 25ruze were treated as a religious minority soon after the religion was established.They were labelled 'rebels' who rejected Islamic principles and had to be restored into the fold of Islam. 26The Druze also experienced numerous disasters, wars, and attempts of oppression and extermination, all of which exacted a high price on human life. 27Consequently, the Druze adopted the political strategy of isolating in mountainous regions and implemented solidarity as a way of life. 28This is reflected in the principle of the preservation of brethren, prevention of assimilation, and avoidance of persecution and conflict through self-defence.Their political strategy has been to adopt a status quo of stability and tranquillity, while simultaneously amassing power and military skills for self-defence. 29Indeed, Druze wars have always occurred on their own land. 30The Muwahidun were directed to engage in solidarity vis-à-vis any external threat.In doing so, the Druze showed that they could build a social infrastructure based on the solidarity principle that preserves Druze society, which is evident in the ties among Druze who live in different countries. 31The continuous wars, persecutions, and struggles experienced by the Druze during their thousand-year existence have hardened them and created a strong post-imperial entity. 32Their existence is also fraught with external conflicts and the challenges of selfpreservation and self-defence. 33Thus, eventually, the Druze considered themselves a persecuted minority, which guides their political conduct. 34

Preservation of brethren
Those who join the religion are directed to ensure community preservation and survival, which includes following the principles of justice and preservation of brethren.The Hifz _ al-Ikhwan (command, which means to protect one's Druze brother (and sister), gives religious validity to Druze solidarity. 35he community preservation principle implies that members are responsible for each other's safety at all costs. 36The core of these instructions is respect for one's fellow human being based on the truthfulness of the group, which fosters unity and stability founded on internal solidarity and preservation of brethren of the Tawhid. 37Truthfulness is a precondition for fulfilling the principle of the preservation of brethren, as whoever is not truthful will not preserve their brethren.Lying and betrayal will harm group cohesion and existence. 38This explains the sensitivity towards honouring promises given and alliances forged between the Druze and others, manifested in the active contribution of Druze to their country of residence while maintaining their own internal values. 39Therefore, the principle of preservation of brethren means upholding the honour and peace of the Muwahidun, and looking after and serving the brethren with a pure heart, without expecting reward.Individual wealth is measured by one's closeness to one's group.The brethren are sons of the same father, who is the 'light' and 'mind', and the same mother, who is 'mercy' or the 'soul'. 40The unity of the Druze is achieved by demonstrating solidarity with the group members when they are in distress and engaged in a just struggle -this is the cornerstone of the security of the community. 41

Impactful minority
Israeli Druze are an impactful community owing to their highly developed military abilities, shaped by their need for self-defence throughout their history. 42For nearly a thousand years, the Druze have been prominent, influential, and active political actors. 43Their impact was keenly felt in the Great Syrian Revolt in 1925 led by Sultan al-Atrash, who maintained that the Druze had no choice but to engage in the struggle as their values and traditions were being challenged. 44Atrash described this struggle in his will and argued that a society with a glorious history could not live with its values being humiliated and suppressed. 45In Israel, the Druze participated in the War of Independence, after which the State of Israel was established; thereafter, they substantially contributed to regional and political stability. 46

Division among age groups
A generation is defined as a group sharing a range of birth dates and a set of worldviews based on defined social or historic events that occurred during their formative years.Generational groups share a common consciousness and develop collective ideas, slogans, and experiences regarding shared historical events.For Manheim, a 'generation' describes a group that shares a location in a social and historical process. 47Strauss and Howe described a generation as the lifecycle of a group of people that lasts 20 years. 48The multi-generational theory argues that people who grow up in different periods of time have different sets of beliefs, values, attitudes, and expectations, which in turn affect their behaviour in general but particularly at work. 49The literature has few accepted models of intergenerational division, although the boundaries are soft and vary slightly across cultures and countries.Eisner's division, which we adopted in our study, is commonly accepted. 50This division begins with the Silent Generation, comprising all those born before the end of WWII; the Baby Boomers, the generation born after WWII and in the 1950s; Generation X, born in the 1960s and 1970s; Generation Y, born in the 1980s and until the mid-1990s; and Generation Z, born from the mid-1990s to 2009. 51

Sample
The sample consisted of participants aged 20 years and older selected via cluster sampling in four test cases.All participants provided informed consent to participate in this study.The guiding criterion for selecting the test cases was the sociological and demographic characteristics of the community, including the social background of the members, urban style (e.g.proximity to urban life), and political structure (as in the Golan Heights), rather than geographical traits. 52Israel has 147,000 Druze residing in 19 communities, 17 of which lie in the Northern District and 2 in the Haifa District. 53The four test cases were selected using the following criteria: (1) An exclusively Druze village (Yanuah); (2) A mixed village in which the Druze are a minority (Shfar'am, where Druze comprise 14% of the population); (3) A separatist village on the Golan Heights, occupied in the 1967 War (Majdal Shams); and (4) A community geographically close to a city or a satellite community of an urban metropolis (Daliyat al-Karmel).The number of participants from each community was calculated as .5% in a large community and 1% in a small community (less than 10,000 residents; see Table 1).The sample included 226 respondents of 417 recruited individuals, with a 46% dropout rate owing to inappropriate age, unsuitable community, or incomplete responses.

Research instruments
This study used two questionnaires: Preservation of Brethren Questionnaire® and a demographic questionnaire.Participant generation was determined by age according to the intergeneration model. 54e constructed the Preservation of Brethren Questionnaire® specifically for the Druze population.Conceptually, it is based on the intergenerational family solidarity questionnaire. 55The participants rated each statement on a Likert scale from 1 (do not agree at all) to 7 (agree completely).In addition to the Western scientific conceptualisation of solidarity, the questionnaire also refers to components of the principle of the preservation of brethren, as described by various authors. 56Accordingly, this principle includes nine dimensions: • The conscious corpus and extent to which the participants understand the concept of the preservation of brethren.
• The ability to explain the concept, reflecting the participants' familiarity with and internalisation of the concept. 57• Participants' identification with the nominal value of the principle, which includes symbolic identification and externalisation of the internal emotions and values that participants believe in, or the ability to express beliefs externally in projective identification. 58 Participants' readiness to provide monetary and material assistance in line with the concept, including a more active form of assistance, such as organ donation. 59• Participants' readiness to assist those who have crossed a Druze social boundary, specifically through exogamy. 60 Participants' readiness to provide political support to protect brethren in line with the principle of the preservation of brethren.• Participants' readiness to fight and risk themselves to protect the brethren vis-à-vis an external threat to the Druze community. 61• The conceptual continuity between the younger and older generations to estimate the extent of conflict between them. 62• Participants' political conception in terms of their attitude regarding the political conduct of the Druze community and their politicalcommunal decision-making. 63e questionnaire was written in Arabic, the participants' native tongue, in which central concepts, such as Hifz _ al-Ikhwan, sound more appropriate compared with other languages.The questionnaire was circulated as an online file to reach as many participants as possible, save time, and minimise travel.Additionally, an online questionnaire enables participants to complete the survey at their leisure, provides freedom of action, and reduces the social desirability effect, while also enabling the automatic creation of a database.The questionnaire included an introductory letter that explained the goal of the research and sought their agreement to participate in the study.Prior to the research, we conducted a pilot study to examine the internal reliability of the preservation of the brethren questionnaire, which was high (α = 0.87).

Data collection
Data collection took place between 10 January and 25 October 2021.We used four collection methods according to the varying characteristics of the sample.First, we sent the questionnaire link to potential participants through communication apps, such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, and requested them to complete the questionnaire and forward the link to other acquaintances and groups, employing the snowball method.This method is swift and suits the young population, which heavily uses such applications.Second, we sent a link to the questionnaire by email.Third, the principal investigator (PI) conducted the telephonic survey.Telephone numbers associated with Druze individuals by family name were randomly selected from Arabic yellow pages. 64The survey was conducted at various hours of the day on all weekdays to reach participants of all ages and sexes.
The telephonic survey offered an opportunity to talk directly to people, and increase the degree of cooperation.Finally, we attended gathering places, such as the Daliyat al-Karmel market and holy sites in the test case communities, to meet participants randomly.Adults and young people alike visit holy sites, and this was an opportunity to present the research and complete the survey.The questionnaires were printed and distributed, and the results were encoded by the PI.This method addressed participants who lacked Internet access or were uncomfortable completing an online questionnaire.

Results
Tables 2 and 3 show the participants' characteristics.Table 4 presents the differences in intergenerational attitudes towards the principle of the preservation of the brethren, examined through a one-way analysis  of variance (ANOVA).The ANOVA results did not show any significant difference (F (4,221) = 1.317,P > 0.05).A post-hoc Scheffe's test showed no significant difference among the age groups, and the groups were highly homogeneous, exhibiting a low level of dispersion.The results in Table 4 do not support the first hypothesis of our study: no negative association was found between respondent generations and attitudes towards the principle of preservation of brethren.
The differences between the four test cases in terms of attitudes towards the principle of preservation of the brethren are presented in Table 5.These were examined through a one-way ANOVA, which revealed a significant difference (F (3,221) = 4.697, P > 0.01).A posthoc Scheffe's test revealed that, on average, the residents of Majdal Shams held more conservative attitudes compared with the other three test cases.
Our second hypothesis predicted a difference in participant groups' attitudes towards the preservation of the brethren: villages with a Druze minority would express greater levels of agreement with this value compared to other villages.Derived from the first hypothesis, this hypothesis was based on the notion that sociological proximity to other societies or religious and ethnic groups would affect patterns of behaviour and thinking, and the fact that minorities worldwide tend to change their behaviour in the presence of a dominant majority. 65owever, the findings did not support this hypothesis.The village of Majdal Shams was significantly different from the other three test cases  examined, and its residents expressed a slightly greater level of solidarity compared with the other communities.

Discussion
This article examined the principle of the preservation of the brethren, a fundamental theological issue that reflects solidarity within Druze society as members of the same Tawhid, who have undergone religious and political persecution throughout history. 66This principle requires specific internal and external behaviours aimed at preservation of the existence of the Druze since the religion's inception in Egypt. 67Literature has noted fundamental differences in the conceptions of younger and older generations and intergenerational gaps in the approach to solidarity. 68Studies have found similarities, multiple identities, and various rifts between younger and older generations, and between religious and non-religious Druze in the modern era. 69Evidence shows that Generation Y is fundamentally different from previous generations, to the extent that it poses a risk of social disintegration, including disintegration of the family and distancing from religion. 70his article sought to elucidate the relationship between participant generations and attitudes towards the principle of preservation of the brethren, which reflects the level of intergenerational solidarity, so as to ascertain whether Druze society has undergone a fundamental change.Findings revealed no intergenerational differences in Druze society's attitudes towards solidarity.In this respect, no fundamental change has occurred in Druze society.Moreover, residents of Majdal Shams held significantly more conservative attitudes compared with the other three communities in the sample.Thus, both research hypotheses were refuted.
The findings indicated cross-generational conservatism and a lack of intergenerational conflict on all dimensions -from the Silent Generation to Generation Z.We found no conflict among religious and non-religious members.Moreover, most respondents expressed theological familiarity and identification with the nominal and operative concept of the principle of preservation of the brethren, a political readiness to contribute money for this purpose, even contribute physically (as in organ donation), and risk oneself in physical combat in case of an external threat to the Druze.The results showed overwhelming agreement regarding traditional values, such as the importance of affinity to the land and of endogamy: violation of endogamy was seen as a grave, unforgivable act.We also found that loyalty to the state was viewed as a theological value.
Regarding the first hypothesis, results showed an absence of intergenerational conflict on the principle of preservation of the brethren, which contradicts the literature indicating conceptual gaps and intergenerational conflicts vis-à-vis solidarity. 71The absence of conflict can be explained by conflict theory itself along with Jung's theory of the collective unconscious. 72The Druze have a history of being oppressed based on ethnicity and religion, having experienced a constant struggle for survival from the inception of their religion. 73Theirs is a history rife with persecution, wars, oppression, and even attempts at extermination, known as mehan. 74Accordingly, a possible theoretical explanation is that because of this history of constant conflicts, Druze view themselves as a group whose survival is under constant threat.This feeling is shared by all generations, including Generations Y and Z despite their different style, orientation, and character, compared with the previous generations.Alternately, the Druze succession of generations is perceived by group members as being homogeneous, with deep roots in Druze history and theology.The belief in reincarnation may strengthen and magnify the social cohesion of Druze society within and outside Israel. 75dditionally, the principle of preservation of the brethren may have become a part of the Druze collective consciousness, passed from one generation to the next.
Regarding the second hypothesis, we found that residents of Majdal Shams held significantly more conservative attitudes compared to the other three communities, thus contradicting the literature regarding a minority surrounded by an ethnic-religious majority. 76This result could be explained by conflict theory.As Israeli governments have held secret and open peace negotiations on the surrender of the Golan Heights to Syria, this community might harbour considerable uncertainty owing to the potential threat of being uprooted and losing their Golan Heights territories to Syria. 77oreover, the proximity of Majdal Shams to conflict-prone regions where ISIS and al-Nusra Front operate, along with an existential threat to Jabal Druze in Syria and the consolidation of the Shiite axis, may have made this test case unique relative to the other three communities.

Conclusions
From a theoretical perspective, this article constructed and validated a new questionnaire dedicated to Druze society on a subject that, to the best of our knowledge, has not been empirically researched in Israel or elsewhere.As such the article expands current knowledge on Druze society in Israel in the contemporary era and demonstrates that the principle of preservation of the brethren is not merely a theoretical-theological construct, but an actual way of life shared by all Druze generations.The large intergenerational gaps in other areas notwithstanding, the preservation principle continues to enjoy broad agreement.This is a surprising but important finding that confirms that Druze society continues to maintain high social cohesion despite sweeping changes.Given that ours was the first empirical study on the preservation of the brethren in Druze society, further research is required to explore this phenomenon among Druze residing outside Israel.
From a practical viewpoint, the article indicates the importance of the principle of preservation of the brethren to Druze society given the broad consensus over it.This understanding is significant for government institutions dealing with this population and seeking to preserve its unique characteristics and traditions.It is also significant for Druze leaders, who have stakes in the processes affecting their society and seek to direct these trends in an optimal manner.

Table 1 .
Sampling of communities in the study.

Table 2 .
Demographic characteristics of the sample (qualitative).

Table 3 .
Demographic characteristics of the sample (quantitative).

Table 4 .
Differences in intergenerational attitudes towards the principle of preservation of brethren.

Table 5 .
Differences between the four test cases in attitudes towards the principle of preservation of brethren.