Skip to main content

Golan's Druze DividedOn the Syrian Struggle

Shlomi Eldar reports from the Golan Heights that Druze there are just as divided about events in Syria as residents of the country.
A Druze man uses binoculars as he looks towards Syria from part of an abandoned military outpost near the Druze village of Buqata in the Golan Heights July 24, 2012. The Syrian government is still in full control of its chemical weapons stockpiles, Israeli defence officials said on Tuesday, in an apparent bid to calm fears that a non-conventional war could be looming. Israel captured the Golan Heights in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it in 1981 in a move not recognized internationally. REUTERS/Ronen
Read in 

The window in the house of Najah S. overlooks the fence that runs along the Syrian border and the earth-banked artillery battery adjacent to it. She lives in Majdal Shams, on the Golan Heights, and every so often the residents of this Druze village can hear shots and explosions echoing across the border. The “Shouting Hill” lies about 100 meters [330 feet] down the slope from her house. The border, the hill and her home are the three focal points of her life.

Najah, 68 years old, is a full-fledged entrepreneur. She runs a coffee shop at the center of the village, where customers stop by not only for a cup of coffee, but also to listen to her fascinating stories involving life on the border. And that isn’t limited to the geopolitical border either. It refers to the border that rips families apart, divides communities and separates generations. Actually, Najah's story is the story of the Druze living on the Golan Heights.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.