Julis

Julis is spread across several hills in the Western Galilee, among olive groves and beside a green wadi.[1][7] It lies south of Abu Sinan; access from Route 70 turns east toward Julis and Yirka.[2][8] Its historic core and narrow alleyways coexist with restaurants and other modern amenities, reflecting a mix of traditional village life and contemporary development.[7]

The village was established in the nineteenth century and developed from a small neighborhood into a larger settlement.[4][1] Archaeological evidence in the surrounding area points to human activity across many millennia: a previously unknown Paleolithic flint extraction and reduction site has been identified west of Julis, approximately ten kilometers south of the late Lower Paleolithic site of Evron Zinat.[9] A Byzantine-period church with inscriptions has also been noted at Khirbet Makkûs, near Julis.[10]

Julis's modern public history is closely associated with the Tarif family, which has led the Druze community for roughly 250 years.[4] In the 1880s, Sheikh Mahna Tarif of Julis convened an assembly to discuss construction of the older section of the structure at Jethro's Tomb. A delegation of uqqal, or initiated elders, traveled to Syria and Lebanon to collect funds, while local Druze also contributed.[2] A 1956 visit by Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion later came to symbolize the relationship between the Druze community and the State of Israel.[1] Defense Minister Itzhak Rabin also visited Julis and Druze leader Amin Tarif, although the date of that visit is not recorded.[11]

Julis is administered as a local council.[12] At the end of 2021, it had 6,600 Druze residents, accounting for 100 percent of the locality's population. Julis was one of eight localities listed as having an entirely Druze population.[3][13]

Sheikh Amin Tarif was born in Julis into a family that had led the Druze community for generations.[14][4] After his father's death, he became a sheikh in 1928, later chaired the Druze religious council from 1957, and headed the Druze court of appeals from 1963.[14] He received the Israel Prize in 1990 for his contribution to national and social life.[14] He died in October 1993, and approximately 150,000 people from the Druze community and other communities attended his funeral.[2][4]

The family's public role extended into Israeli political life. Salah Tarif, born in Julis in 1954, served as mayor of the village before entering national politics.[6] In March 2001, he was appointed Minister without Portfolio, becoming the first non-Jewish minister in an Israeli government.[6]

Julis's residents have a strong tradition of service in the Israel Defense Forces. A 2008 report stated that more than 85 percent of young Julis residents were inducted into the army and more than 65 percent joined combat units, although it did not specify the methodology or denominator for those figures.[5] By the same year, the village had recorded 23 fallen soldiers since 1956 but did not yet have a dedicated military cemetery; soldiers were buried in family plots at the village cemetery.[5]

This tradition has drawn senior Israeli military leaders to the village. In 2018, IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot visited the tomb of Sheikh Amin Tarif and met with Druze and Bedouin representatives, including spiritual leader Sheikh Moafaq Tarif, ahead of Eid al-Adha.[12] The visit took place amid opposition among Arab-speaking minorities to the Nation-State Law, which they viewed as discriminatory.[12] Earlier, in September 2014, Israeli Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel met Druze community leaders in Julis and assured them that "Israel's alliance with the Druze does not end at Israel's borders." The statement was intended to address concerns about Druze in Syria while discouraging independent actions that might infringe on IDF sovereignty.[15]

Julis's tourism and culinary economy includes guest accommodations and restaurants serving traditional Druze food as well as Mexican and Japanese cuisine, reflecting a combination of local tradition and newer businesses.[7]

In December 2023, the Noor restaurant became the village's first kosher establishment and began providing free packaged meals for IDF soldiers and evacuees during the war.[16] The owner coordinated with Deputy Minister Uri Maklev's office and the Chief Rabbinate to complete the conversion process.[16]

Julis residents have also channeled civic activity beyond the village. A 2025 report described a war room established in the community center by Druze volunteers responding to events in Syria's Sweida province. Participants included an anesthesiologist, a data analyst building a platform through which doctors could request medical supplies, and a hair-salon owner organizing food and medical aid from a nearby warehouse.[17]

Sheikh Amin Tarif's tomb, located within the village, is considered a Druze holy place. A memorial room at the site displays photographs documenting milestones in his life and in the history of the Druze community in Israel.[12][1]

The Druze Heritage House museum, established in 2002, preserves material culture from the community's history.[7] Its collection includes agricultural tools, horse equipment, coffee grinders, weapons, and traditional clothing. One notable item is a red velvet wedding dress that, according to a museum representative, arrived in Julis with a bride from Syria in 1925.[7]

Al-Muna Gardens was created by Julis resident Naji Abbas from his grandfather's orchard and dedicated to his parents. The name "Al-Muna" means hope and faith and was also the name of his mother.[4]

In June 2023, the Northern District Planning and Building Committee granted final approval to a comprehensive outline plan for Julis.[18] The plan provides for 3,365 housing units intended to accommodate approximately 12,500 residents. It had been approved for deposit for public objections in September 2020, and the final-approval discussion took place on June 19, 2023.[18]

The plan encompasses new residential neighborhoods, employment infrastructure, public services, and sports and recreation areas. It includes landscape work to restore and preserve the banks of the Hamra and Yasif stream channels and measures to reduce vehicle traffic in the historic core, where historic buildings are designated for preservation. Julis residents and local leaders participated throughout the planning process.[18]

A geographically distinct locality also named Julis, situated near Majdal, present-day Ashkelon, in the southern coastal plain, appears in Israeli military history. During the 1948 War of Independence, Givati Brigade forces captured that southern Julis and a nearby road junction on May 28, 1948, and repelled an Egyptian attempt to retake it on July 10. Positions there subsequently served as a staging base for Givati units breaking through toward the Negev.[19] That site is separate from the Druze village of Julis in the Western Galilee described in this article.