Circassians in Israel

Circassians in Israel
Израилым ис Адыгэхэр; הצ'רקסים בישראל‎
	Israeli Circassians in traditional ceremonial clothing with the Circassian national flag, 2010
Total population
	c. 4,000–5,000
Regions with significant populations
	Kfar Kama, Israel; Rehaniya, Israel
Languages
	Circassian languages (Adyghe, Kabardian) – native,; Arabic (Levantine Arabic, Palestinian Arabic),; Israeli Hebrew (L2), English (L3)
Religion
	Sunni Islam
Related ethnic groups
	other Circassians, North Caucasians

Circassians in Israel (Adyghe: Израилым ис Адыгэхэр, Hebrew: הצ'רקסים בישראל) are Israelis who are ethnic Circassians. They are a branch of the Circassian diaspora, which was formed as a consequence of the 19th-century Circassian genocide that was carried out by the Russian Empire during the Russo-Circassian War; Circassians are a Northwest Caucasian^[4] ethnic group and a nation; who natively speak the Circassian languages and originate from the historical country-region of Circassia in the North Caucasus. The majority of Circassians in Israel are Muslims.

Israeli Circassians adhere largely to the Sunni branch of Islam; they number about 4,000–5,000 and live primarily in two towns: Kfar Kama (Кфар Кама), and Rehaniya (Рихьаные). They are descended from two Circassian diaspora groups who were settled in the Galilee by the Ottoman Empire in the 1870s.

Circassians are one of only two minority groups in Israel (alongside the Druze) from whom conscripts are drawn for compulsory military service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). However, the IDF restricts conscription for the Circassian and Druze communities to males only; this policy is in contrast to the one applied to Israel's Jewish majority, from which females are also drafted alongside males.^[5]^[6]

^ Besleney, Zeynel Abidin (2014). The Circassian Diaspora in Turkey: A Political History. Routledge. p. 96. ISBN 978-1-317-91004-6.
^ Torstrick, Rebecca L. (2004). Culture and Customs of Israel. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-313-32091-0.
^ Louër, Laurence (2007). To be an Arab in Israel. New York City, NY: Columbia University Press. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-231-14068-3.
^ James Minahan (2010). One Europe, Many Nations: A Historical Dictionary of European National Groups. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. p. 12. ISBN 9780313309847.
^ Cite error: The named reference Kessler was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "People: Minority Communities". Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2020.

[1] Besleney, Zeynel Abidin (2014). The Circassian Diaspora in Turkey: A Political History. Routledge. p. 96. ISBN 978-1-317-91004-6.

[2] Torstrick, Rebecca L. (2004). Culture and Customs of Israel. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-313-32091-0.

[3] Louër, Laurence (2007). To be an Arab in Israel. New York City, NY: Columbia University Press. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-231-14068-3.

[4] James Minahan (2010). One Europe, Many Nations: A Historical Dictionary of European National Groups. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. p. 12. ISBN 9780313309847.

[Kessler-5] Cite error: The named reference Kessler was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[6] "People: Minority Communities". Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2020.

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Израилым ис Адыгэхэр הצ'רקסים בישראל‎
Israeli Circassians in traditional ceremonial clothing with the Circassian national flag, 2010
Total population
c. 4,000^[1]^[2]–5,000^[3]
Regions with significant populations
Kfar Kama, Israel Rehaniya, Israel
Languages
Circassian languages (Adyghe, Kabardian) – native, Arabic (Levantine Arabic, Palestinian Arabic), Israeli Hebrew (L2), English (L3)
Religion
Sunni Islam
Related ethnic groups
other Circassians, North Caucasians