This photograph is part of a collection of images taken in Palestine during World War I. Pictured here are volunteer Druze cavalry fighters (horsemen). The four soldiers are wearing decorative uniforms, and one even has a medal attached to his dress coat. All four have hats native to the Middle East region, and all have impressively styled moustaches. The fact that they are cavalry officers can be gleaned from their boots, which only a cavalry soldier would have worn.
The officers’ names and roles are written on the back of the photo, although there is no indication of which side they fought for during the war. From the photo, we can see that there was no standard issue uniform for volunteers, as each man is dressed differently. Other photos in the same series demonstrate that the soldiers even carried different weapons.
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Israeli Druze Community - The Israeli Druze are a unique religious and ethnic minority who currently number around 150,000. Despite the fact that they are often referred to as Muslims, the Druze have a separate faith that is not based on Islam and are a distinct ethnic community. They do not have a national homeland and live in different countries in the Middle East including Israel, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, and they believe in full integration in the different countries. In Israel, Druze men have reached top military and political positions. While some identify as Arabs and choose not to serve in the Israeli army, many are proud Israelis who sign up for military service.
