All Jews are expected to serve from the age of 18, as are all Druse males.
The enlistment of Druse soldiers began in the early 1950s, following an agreement between the state and the leadership of the Druse community, which wanted to prove its loyalty.
This was a natural development after the Druse community generally abstained from taking part in the 1948 attack that the Arab states launched against the nascent State of Israel. Though Druse are ethnically Arab — differing from Muslim and Christian Arabs only in their religion, which is an offshoot of Islam — in many cases Druse collaborated with the Jews against the Arabs.
Despite occasional problems, the enlistment of the Druse in the IDF is considered a success story. Their highest-ranking officer is a major-general, the highest rank possible in the IDF after chief of staff.