Hundreds of Druze families reunited in Israel this week after years of separation, as Israel allowed approximately 650 religious figures from Syria to enter for the annual Nabi Shu'ayb festival.
The visitors were granted access to the shrine of Nabi Shu'ayb, the most sacred site for Druze, located in the village of Hittin above the Sea of Galilee. The rare event enabled long-divided families from Israel and Syria to meet and celebrate together.
"This is an unforgettable opportunity to meet you here," said Jamil Tarif to his Syrian relatives, whom he had not seen for years. Issam Tarif, a resident of Ashrafiyah Sahnaya near Damascus, added: "I’m 50 years old, and this is the first time I am visiting the holiest place for us Druze. Meeting my family is deeply emotional." His relative Marwan said the visit fulfilled a lifelong dream: "The dream came true on this holy ground. Nothing is more moving than reuniting with our extended family. We are grateful to everyone who made this special visit possible."
From early Friday morning, hundreds of families from the Galilee, Golan Heights and Carmel regions gathered at the shrine to meet their Syrian relatives. The festival, which lasts four days from April 25 to 28, celebrates the prophet Shu'ayb, regarded in Druze tradition as the chief prophet and divine messenger.
Among the reunited families was the Dabour family from Beit Jann, who met relatives from Suweida and Jaramana in Syria. "We came to meet our cousins. My 97-year-old father made the special trip to see them. There is nothing more emotional," said Beit Jann Council head Nazih Dabour.
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His cousin, Sheikh Rusalan Al-Babour, who traveled from Syria, spoke tearfully: "This feeling is incomparable. We hope the ties will continue without interruption. Although we are separated by only a few kilometers, our hearts are here with our families and the entire Druze community everywhere. We thank everyone who enabled us to come to this holiest of places. The former Assad regime worked hard to sever family connections — it was cruel and inhumane."
Druze spiritual leaders arrive in Israel for the festival of Nabi Shu'ayb
(Video: The Druze Religious Council of Israel )
The visit was initiated by Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel, following a smaller event last month when about 100 religious figures from the Syrian village of Hader visited the shrine.
"The emotional reunions we witnessed today reflect the unbreakable bond among Druze around the world," said Sheikh Tarif. "It is impossible not to be moved by brothers meeting after more than 50 years or grandparents seeing their grandchildren for the first time. This is a historic visit by religious leaders from across Syria for the pilgrimage to the most sacred site for Druze."