The Nazareth Magistrate Court dismissed the case against 16 Druse sheikhs that traveled without a permit to Syria and Lebanon after an agreement was reached with them, pledging not to do it again.

Before the court ruled on the sentencing of the sheikhs on Tuesday, the state prosecutor reached an understanding whereby sheikh Muwafak Tareef, the spiritual head of the Druse community, and other Druse leaders, signed a statement ordering all members of their community “not to travel to Syria and Lebanon without obtaining the required permit from state authorities.”
According to the agreement with the defendants, they signed a pledge to respect the law preventing future visits to enemy states without a permit.
In 2011, the 16 sheikhs were indicted and charged with illegally traveling to Syria and Lebanon.
Because of the circumstances, that the sheikhs traveled to these countries to visit religious sites and due to the time elapsed since the events occurred, the court made the unusual decision as an act of trust in the defendants and the heads of the Druse community that such trips will not be repeated without a permit.