Tel Aviv [Israel], March 9 (ANI/TPS): Israel is preparing to 'soon' allow Syrian Druze to work in the Golan Heights, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday.

'We will soon allow Druze workers from Syria to work in the Golan Heights communities in Israel,' Katz said. 'As Defense Minister, I salute them for their loyalty and heroism and their contribution to Israel's security in difficult and crucial times - we will continue to strengthen them and also protect their brothers in Syria against any threat.'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the demilitarization of southern Syria and protection for its Druze community on Feb. 23. An estimated 700,000-800,000 Druze live in Syria, mostly in southwestern areas near Israel and Jordan. They make up around four percent of the Syrian population. Analysts and Israeli Druze recently told TPS-IL that Netanyahu's remarks were a major shift in Israeli policy.

The Press Service of Israel's conversations with Druze residents of the Syrian town of Sweida revealed optimism about Netanyahu's pledge, as well as internal divisions.

The Druze of southern Syria are optimistic about a recent Israeli pledge to protect their communities, though The Press Service of Israel's conversations with residents of Sweida also reveal some internal divisions.

The Israeli government announced on Monday it was planning to adopt an unprecedented five-year 3.9 billion NIS (USD 1.08 billion) development plan for the Druze and Circassian communities to boost local economies, housing, and local planning.

Israel's Druze community of 152,000 trace their ancestry back to the Biblical figure Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses. Israeli Druze serve in senior positions in public and military life, and the bond between Jewish and Druze soldiers is referred to as the 'covenant of blood.' The Druze speak Arabic but are not Muslim and are very secretive about their religious beliefs.

The Druze living in the Galilee and Mount Carmel areas sided with the Jews in 1948 during Israel's War of Independence, opted to be part of Israeli society and established themselves in all areas of public life.

When Israel captured the Golan Heights during the Six-Day War of 1967, the Golan Druze refused Israeli offers of citizenship, believing Syria would recapture the plateau. But attitudes have changed since the Syrian Civil War broke out in 2011. (ANI/TPS)