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Syria conflict takes its toll on Golan Druze

While the Syrian war has taken quite a toll on Syrian Druze in the occupied Golan Heights, some of the Druze fear Israel could use them as a pretext for expanding cross-border military moves.
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The small Syrian population that has remained steadfast in the Golan Heights continues to be loyal to Damascus and the Syrian motherland, although 50 years have passed since the Israeli occupation and despite the unilateral Israeli decision to annex the Golan Heights to Israel in 1981.

Out of 130,000 Syrians living and farming the Golan Heights before 1967, 25,000 Syrian Druze continue to live in about 5% of the occupied Syrian territory. Roughly 23,000 Jewish settlers have been living in some 34 settlements in the Golan Heights, in violation of international law.

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