Admires Druse soldiers' commitment to service, promises equal opportunities to Beduin draftees.
By JPOST.COM STAFFashkenazi salutes 224.88(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski )
Israel's Druse soldiers are a "column of fire" and a wonderful example of service values, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi said Friday.
Ashkenazi visited Druse and Beduin soldiers, officers, and local council heads in northern Israel in honor of the Id al-Adha holiday, which Muslims believe marks God's decision to sacrifice Abraham's son Ismail.
"Your sons are the Maccabees," Ashkenazi told the Druse officials.
The IDF chief also expressed his pride in the Beduin who chose to serve in the army, and said that choosing to be drafted served as an "entryway" into Israeli society.
Ashkenazi said he would do everything in his power to see that every Beduin drafted into the IDF received equal opportunities for advancement.
