A struggle against 'Israelization:' Druze resistance in the Golan Heights

Report by Nada Andraos, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

The attack on the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights has reignited the debate over the relationship between the Druze communities in the Golan and the occupied territories and Israel.

Since Israel's occupation of the Golan Heights in 1967 and its subsequent annexation in 1981, the Druze of the Golan have largely rejected Israeli citizenship, steadfastly maintaining their Syrian Arab identity. 

In the Israeli-occupation part of the Golan Heights, the region's four Druze villages are Buq'ata, Ein Qiniyye, Majdal Shams, and Mas'ade, home to 23,000 Druze residents.

These communities have preserved close ties with Syria, staunchly opposing Israel and viewing it as an occupying force. They have consistently refused military conscription in the Israeli army. 

Today, less than 10% of the Golan's Druze population has accepted Israeli citizenship.

In the immediate aftermath of the 1967 occupation, Druze resistance groups formed and initiated the 'Secret Resistance Movement,' which evolved from a military to a political and civil disobedience strategy during the 1980s. This was a practical approach to counteract the "Israelization" of the Golan Heights and the erosion of their identity.

For the Golan's Druze residents, even attempts at normalization with the occupation are unacceptable. This sentiment was evident in their recent confrontations with Israeli police in the northern Golan, protesting the construction of wind turbines in their villages.