Lebanese Druze Muslim leaders called Sunday on Druze living in Israel to practice civil disobedience and to join in the Palestinian uprising.
"We call on the Arab Druze community in Israel to take an active part in the Intifada of the Palestinian people against the Zionist occupier," said a statement by seven of the Lebanese parliament's eight Druze deputies who met under the direction of Walid Jumblatt.
The eighth deputy, Talal Arlsan, did not attend the meeting.
"You must refuse obligatory military service, no matter what pressures are brought to bear by the Zionist enemy and you must disobey and immediately desert the Israeli army even if you are arrested, tortured, or even risk death," the statement said.
Jumblatt is a long-time ally of Syria, despite having called recently for their relationship to be re-appraised.
There are roughly 100,000 Druze living in Israel and the occupied Golan Heights -- around 75,000 of whom have Israeli nationality and serve in the army.
There are another 225,000 living in Lebanon, and less than 150,000 in Syria -- BEIRUT (AFP)
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