Rania Dean: The Druze-Israeli Advocating for Israel

October 7 was devastating for all Israelis, whether they’re Jewish, Muslim, Christian, or, in Rania Dean’s case, Druze. She loves her home country, and when October 7 happened, Rania, now living in Los Angeles, shifted her life completely to start advocating for Israel.

“This inhumane act was so much to digest,” she told Aish. “We are still traumatized, all of us Israelis and Jewish people around the world. It was so upsetting. How did this happen? How inhumane can you be to kill a pregnant woman or abduct a baby? In the first few days after October 7, I thought, maybe now, finally, our side of the story is really clear to the world. But this silence, this silence, it seems like the whole world is against us.”

This silence is what propelled Rania to speak out in the days following October 7 – and one year later, she’s still going.

Growing Up in Israel

Rania, a sixth generation Israeli, grew up in Maghar, which became Israel’s first Druze city in 2021.

Because Rania spoke Hebrew as well as Arabic, when she was a child, she’d watch Jordanian, Syrian, and Lebanese channels.

“When I watched shows on these channels, they were singing songs about Israel being the occupier,” she said. “In Syria, they have a program called ‘Scouts,’ and they used to put out songs about how kids should grow up and fight the occupier. All of these messages were really brainwashing.”

Rania lived a politically centric life in Maghar, where her father was a local politician, and she completed her national service as a young adult – even though Israel mandated that it wasn’t necessary for Druze women to do this.

“All of the men in my family served in the IDF,” she said. “Because of the nature of our Druze society, which is more traditional and conservative, women don’t have to serve. But now, most of them do the national service out of duty, even though they aren’t required to.”

Following her national service, Rania earned her Bachelor’s degree in political science and biotechnology engineering, and became a young advisor to former Israeli President Shimon Peres, where she worked on initiatives pushing for peace in the Middle East.

“I remember telling Peres that I didn’t know if peace is an option now,” she said.

The Druze Community in Israel and the Middle East

There are only 800,000 to 1 million Druze, and most of them live in the Middle East. While 150,000 Druze live in Israel, making up only 2% of the population, they are known for being very loyal to the state and reaching senior levels in the IDF. In the other places they reside, Lebanon and Syria, life is not so simple.

“In Lebanon, they still claim the Druze people are part of the Muslim community, which we are not,” Rania said. “In Syria, they are killing us. They consider us infidels.”

Because they were persecuted, the Druze community became much more secretive and didn’t allow for intermarriage or conversions.

“We hid our existence because we lived in a region where it was not acceptable to be different,” she said. “We were praying underground during the Islamic and Ottoman empire just like the Iranian Jews. The only place we are accepted and can be ourselves is Israel.”

Watching October 7 from Afar – and Taking Action

Rania married a fellow Druze and moved to Los Angeles in 2013. She became a housewife and later on, a realtor. She also volunteered with the Israeli Jewish Community Center in LA; she had previous volunteering experience with StandWithUs and TNS Israel back home.

“When you have this fire in you, you want to contribute to your community no matter where you live,” she said.

On October 7, she was still reeling from the loss of her father who had died a few months prior.

“I was dealing with my personal grief, and that was mixed with the collective grief,” she said.

Along with seeing the horrors on that day, Rania, a mom of two young boys, was shocked at the world’s reaction to the massacre.

“I realized it wasn’t the facts that matter,” she said. “The facts are so clear. The problem is the antisemitism and Jew hatred. Maybe people are upset that after all that happened, Israel is more powerful now than ever.”

At the request of a Jewish friend, Rania, who proudly flies the Israeli and American flags outside of her home, spoke at an event as a non-Jew in support of Israel.

“We all started crying because October 7 was very fresh,” she said. “It was really helpful for all of us. We knew we were on the right side, and at least we had this little corner where we could feel free to express ourselves.”

For the past year, Rania has been speaking for pro-Israel organizations and events, appearing in synagogues and on podcasts and advocating for her homeland. As an outspoken activist, her goal is to not only show a non-Jewish perspective on Israel and spread the truth about her beloved home country, but to also reach Arabs and Muslims.

“I want to show the Arab and Muslim world how much brainwashing they are dealing with,” she said. “Someone I know was sent to jail in Egypt for talking to an Israeli person. It’s horrible. Not all Muslims or Arabs are extreme and radical. But there is a large number who are, and we need to be aware of it before extremism comes to America.”

When Hezbollah launched a rocket on July 27 from Lebanon – which landed on a soccer field and killed 12 Druze Israeli children in the Majdal Shams massacre, Rania, the entire Druze community and all Israelis mourned the loss.

“To see innocent children, just playing soccer—far from any military base, with no connection to missiles or terrorists—be brutally targeted in such a devilish act, shook me to the core,” she said. “Losing 12 lives and having tens more injured in a village of only 11,000 people, and in a Druze community of just 150,000, was beyond devastating. Everyone knows someone, whether a victim or a family member. But in that moment, it didn’t matter whether they were Druze or Israeli. The outpouring of support from all Israelis was heartwarming and reminded us all of the true enemy that targets anyone on Israeli soil, simply for being there.”

Since the massacre, Rania has partnered with Maman Nonprofit, a group in the U.S., to provide PTSD therapy to the victims' families and the survivors.

Though October 7 and the aftermath has been difficult for Rania, she’s going to keep speaking up and spreading positive messages about Israel, the land that gave so much to her – and her community – time and time again.

“We lost so many people on October 7 and this past year, which is so sad,” she said. “What’s comforting is knowing that there are people who are not Jewish or Israeli but believe in our right to exist and for the Jewish people to exist in their homeland. Knowing that people understand our side of the story gives me comfort. It gives me hope.”