LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Druze: General Shishakli
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Since the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, the Druze educational system has flourished. In 1948/49, only 981 Druze were enrolled in school - 881 boys and 100 girls. Some 30 years later, there were 18,729 Druze students, an increase by a factor of 19. Today there are over 30,000 Druze students in the school system - some 2.3% of all pupils in Israel, although the representation of Druze in the general population is only 1.6%.
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The Druze are split into two groups. The largely secular majority, called al-Juhhāl (جهال), "the Ignorant", are not granted access to the Druze holy literature. They comprise around 80% of the Druze population, and generally distance themselves from religious issues - for this reason they are able to fill governmental positions (sometimes disproporationately to the Druze's share of the general population) in the nations that they inhabit which endorse other religions. They often do not consider themselves to have most of the religious responsibilities that the faith includes, but are party to personal prayer.
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On September 5, 2000, a ceremony was held in the village of Abu Snaan in western Galilee in honor of the first Druze general in the IDF, Home Front Commander Yosef Mishlab. More than 3,000 guests were present from all of the Druze villages in the Galilee and Mt. Carmel, as well as IDF Chief of Staff Shaul Mofaz, Minister of Interior Eli Yishai and his deputy, and other high-ranking Druze and Jewish IDF officers, police officials, and commanders. The large number of participants was a demonstration of solidarity by the Druze with the highest ranking officer in the history of their community. According to the remarks of Chief of Staff Mofaz, Mishlab is a full participant in the decisions of the general staff of the Israel Defense Forces, meaning that he participates in the process of daily decision-making concerning the national security of the State of Israel.
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The Druze are split into two groups. The outer group, called al-JuhhÄl (جهال), "the Ignorant", are not granted access to the secret Druze holy literature. They form the Druze political and military leadership and generally distance themselves from religious issues. They comprise perhaps 80% of the Druze.
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Druze principles focus on honesty, loyalty, filial piety, altruism, patriotic sacrifice, and monotheism. They reject polygamy, tobacco smoking, alcohol, consumption of pork, and marriage to non-Druze. Druze generally follow the Sunni train of thought on history, honoring Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman, Ali and others, but follow an egalitarian ethic towards other sects.
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The Druze delegation said after the meeting that Yitzhaki promised to discuss their demands with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon during his trip to India. According to the Druze representatives, the director-general of the PMO explained that the plan was brought to the Knesset for approval in July under the assumption that the residents did not object to the merger plan.
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General Shishakli