Stories from the Druze in the Golan Heights 

Wow, I hope this video was interesting to you, it is exciting to me that people on the Syrian side of the border watch this. I hope that someday things will start changing in our region, and the families who have been effected most will find a certain closure.

Where in Syria do you live?

Sir is you are related with prophet yithro

We're not your brothers, and we are not your sisters. Unless you're from our tribe.

@@farestimani9204 Lol, I assume you're from the Golan. In the rest of Israel, Druze are our brothers. It is written into the fabric of our country.

@@ForeverRepublic the Golan is Syrian land, annexed, occupied by foreigners who have no ties to the land. The Druze in the 48 are our brothers and sisters. We have no ties to the settlers. That’s a false narrative.

@@farestimani9204 The government said for decades that if Syria signed a peace treaty with us, the Golan would be returned. We use to occupy the Sinai. But then Egypt signed a treaty in 1979, so the Sinai was returned. Since then we have no problems with Egypt. It's not an unreasonable request. We took the Golan because the Golan was used to bomb and kill fishermen in the Kinneret. Every Israeli who was alive remembers these days. Had the Golan not been in Israel's hands, Jabet Al-Nusra would have killed all the Druze for being "kuffar." I was in the army when they took the southern portion of the Golan, we watched it happen from Mt Hermon. Please help me understand what is so horrible about living in Israel? Do we not treat you fairly? Because the "Druze in the 48" have been fighting and dying for Israel in every single war since 1948. We had an acting Druze president in 2007 named Madjalli Wahabi. We have Druze in the Knesset and in the airforce and in every single sector of Israeli life.

@@ForeverRepublic first of all, LOL at your Arabic. It’s “Kafir” and there was never a peace treaty except for the one proposed by the Arab league. It was denied by the settler colonial entity because it called for the Palestinian right to return. You don’t want peace, you want assimilation. A colonizing entity isn’t any different than another occupying power. Two wrongs don’t make one right or one less of an evil. If every Druze refused service, would we have those people in power? No. No one recognizes the settler entity. Even within the 48, we know who we are, and where we come from. Our ancestry has nothing to do with the European refugees or those who claim biblical ties to a land they nor their ancestors have any claim to. We’re not settlers or any entity assimilating as such. We are Druze. We are from the land, of this land, and will remain in our lands till the end of days. You on the other hand, won’t be.

The Druze are also very hospitable and really make you feel welcome and at home. Wonderful people 🦋💗🇮🇱

They really are some of the kindest people I've met while traveling.

@@lesliesmith5797yeh they look wonderful 🇸🇾

Wow, you are from an incredibly special place. I now watched this video again after a long time and felt quite nostalgic for Majdal Shams, I'll go there as soon as I can.

@@talzeiger i will be going soon despite the ongoing war

I see, if not the war I would be there tomorrow, but I'll probably wait until it's just a little calmer over there. But visiting there during the war is quite interesting to me.

Sounds like a very unique experience!

The Gentleman owned a Jewelry store in the old city.We went in an Eldorado convertible Cadillac in 1977 outside the City.I was the only American etc..Never an evening since quite as magical.People beyond gracious and friendly to an unexpected guest.💐🕊🔥❤🙏

@@jigold22571 What a story...

Isreals Iron Dome malfunctioned and missile fragments fell into Majdal Shams according to Druze eyewitnesses

seems wonderful. now I get why the zionists stole it from Syria.

We’re also an occupied people ✌️

@@farestimani9204 we? Who are you? Are you famous? How am i suppose to know who is "we" when you say that?

@@MM-bt8ke the title of the video and whole subject is the Druze in the Golan heights. It’s really not that difficult at all.

@@farestimani9204 you can't be a druze. Because you don't know the first thing about Druze... IF YOU ARE A DRUZE; you would know that druze history is nomadic. They don't claim land as their own, they never have. A druze doesn't have history or direct ties to Israel or Syria or Lebanon or Jordan.. they are peaceful and generally respect the law of whatever land their living on. You must be an entitled privilege American who in recent years have become obsessed with being a victim and call themselves "opressed" because their government tells them they can't own an assault rifle and carry it in a shopping mall.. so stop with the bs.. you are not a druze, your not oppressed and you are not a victim.

@@MM-bt8ke we can’t claim autonomy or sovereignty * please next time actually know what you’re talking about versus reading Wikipedia.

I appreciate that a lot!

Thank you! Very glad to hear people's opinion

Pawns? Lmao you have not ready history at all. We ruled from Haifa to Latakia under Fakhreddine. We created the modern states of Syria and Lebanon. We massacred Jews in the 17th century. Put respect on our name you peasant

I have been to Majdal Shams also, I met many Druze villagers. They were VERY friendly.

I'm so glad to hear that!

Ihr habt die Juden nach unten vertrieben vergiss nicht

Присоединяюсь! Просто нечего добавить к написанному! Молодец Таль!

I hope you will! I would definitely like to visit Papua New Guinea one day.

@talzeiger hope so...good luck.

20% are israeli citizens, the rest are permanent residents, three times more requests for citizenship in the last two years. A freedomof information request filed by Shomrim reveals a record number of requests for Israeli citizenship - but these are often submitted in secret. Sometimes, evenfamily members don’t know. One young Druze woman who took Israeli citizenship: I have never felt any kind of affinity to Syria or Israel. I asked for citizenship to make my life easier.

I really appreciate that! I am now working on some things I am quite fond of, hope you'll enjoy them

@@talzeiger amazing achi, looking forward to seeing

Thank you!

Golan height is a part of Syria ❤

The golan is syrian

🇸🇾

​@@muhammadsuleman9328they went to war and got their asses licked, deal with it

I wonder why Israel gave back to Egypt the Eastern part they won in war?

And today?

If you believe that true peace can be relied on one person then you are lying to yourself.

Palestinians' don't recognise d illegal occupier & d druze, Beduin recognise it. So they co-exist with Israeli people.They r traitors as Palestinians think.

Thank you!

Indeed, I didn't really explore that topic. I asked one person that question, he said "comfort" but wasn't really able to explain it more specifically, so I didn't include it in the video. I can say that what I understood from my conversation with one of the interviewees without the camera, is that the Golan Druze feel like they are still culturally and socially connected to Syria, so they simply feel like they fit in more at that time.

@@talzeiger that is a bigoted comment and question, so please never ask that. And don’t white wash our heritage. We are a separate sect of shi’ite Islam and an indigenous culture. We are not Muslim and the Druze are from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine. We are indigenous to our lands and it’s part of our faith to protect the lands we live in. But don’t mistake that for thinking that all the Druze don’t know we’re occupied since ‘67. Free my Druze brothers and sisters from the Golan, Lebanon and all over the Levant from the occupation of the colonizers.

Druzes of Golan heights belongs to israeli citizenship they happily live in this israeli teriotroy 👈😂🇮🇱👌

@@AjeetSingh-vu2qq no they don’t Stop lying They’re still refusing your disgusting nationality

@@waedwaed6012 No problem Druzes will be always under Israeli rule 🇮🇱🇮🇱💪💪

Well, you can contact me on instagram (my account is talzeiger), and we can discuss it there.

Well, I am a Nizari Ismaili Shia.... Druze were formerly part of ismailis but during the time of Imam Hakim Bi Amr Allah a.s Druze form up a different offshoot... What durze people think of Imam Hakim Bi Amr Allah A.S

Thank you! Check out some of my newer videos

Actually, traveling there you see men in traditional clothing quite often, I think the religious ones have to dress this way, and many of the women wear a white cloth.

@@talzeiger Thank you, good to know. I've seen it in Lebanese villages, wondering if it's the same in Israel. Yes I think this type of clothing indicate some sort of religious status.

cosa te lo fa pensare ?

Definitely not something I thought I would hear about myself but thanks

Sometimes I imagine how it would be if the borders between my country and its neighbors were like the borders in the EU... Our lives would be very different.

@@talzeiger As a Lebanese. I dream of that day.

Opinion on America border ??

Only if they give Palestinians there freedom

Yes you are right... Are you druze

Syria is making it difficult for them to take back golan heights, am not sure if its as simple as a piece of paper with dried up ink, Israel in the past was willing to return the golan heights in exchange for peace but it seems that Syria was not after peace, had Syria wanted golan that bad all they had to give up was to sign the peace treaty no tangible things to exchange with golan heights, but politics had its difficult and complicated twist, Israel was always saying to Syria's Assad land for peace, but for whatever reason Assad turn it down, now Israel has decided that they will not in any manner give up golan not even for peace due to Syria's intransigence, in negotiations u cannot have it all and in fact if u are at the losing team u can't demand u have to accept what the victor will have to offer and in this issue land for peace, but of course Assad was more interested in their family's hold of Syrian govt had to reject such an offer and right now short of full blown war or nuclear war will Syria be able to take back the golan heights, Israel had left the table with the offer on the table but Syria was not taking it and then Israel came back to take back that offer..✌👍👊 Lets take a look what happened to Egypt they lost the sinai peninsula in the war and Israel was willing to return it in exchange for peace, Egypt accepted the offer albeit reluctantly at first but they got back the sinai peninsula at the cost of Anwar Sadat's life. Egypt became a pariah estate from all muslim country's, but what happened to Egypt after the peace deal. Is Egypt far worse today than they were before the peace deal of course not, they are better off today than before the deal, one thing for sure they don't have to look over their shoulder for possible trouble they can sleep better at night knowing that their neighbor will not launch a sneak attack during the night, their border with Israel is not as heavily guarded compared to before. To me Anwar Sadat was a great statesman he has foresight for his country that no one could see, he took the road less traveled pay the ultimate price but the benefit is beyond what Egypt could have imagine had their been no peace treaty, "PEACE WAS AND IS SADAT'S PYRAMID" ✌👍👊

@@donntabale2054 are you druze

@@AliHassanHunzai nope..

@@donntabale2054 are you Syrian

No, it's actually "Lake Ram", that is significantly smaller.

Well as far as I know the religion forbids conversions and marriage outside of the religion as you mentioned; a child can't technically be called Druze if only one parent is Druze. To be honest though, I don't know what the exact reason for these rules is, and I wasn't able to find it on the internet.

@@talzeiger okay thanks for explaining are you druze?

@@aishahabibi6463 No, I'm Jewish

@@talzeiger6118 ok

Yup, stolen parts from other countries 😁😃

@@waedwaed6012 Not stolen but victrious part of Israel in 1967 🇮🇱🇮🇱💪💪😄😆😆😆

@@AjeetSingh-vu2qq recognized by anyone. That tells you about the illegality of the annexation and occupation.

Give back

@@mo-kq8ko Everything may be ligel with Gun and force 😆😁😁😂😂

Well in day to day life they speak Arabic, but in the video they're speaking Hebrew.

Arabs colonized the middle east for the past milennia 😂

You mean when syria attacked them and the israelis kicked their asses , israel took The golden heights. That's what happens when you lose wars. If arabs want to stop having their asses kicked by israelis, maybe they should stop attacking them

What a ridiculous statement. There are no syrian jews left. Therefore, I can assume that everything else you said as a lie as well

I could hear the islamist foaming​@@soltantio

Geographically it doesn't make any sense for Golan to be part of Syria, it's completely cut off from the rest of Syria by the mountain range. Instead of being nitpicky about who owned what using the original partition borders, maybe understand that the original borders weren't drawn perfectly logical in certain places here and there. And if you actually knew anything about the areas and the people who live there then you would know that ironically whoever attacked probably did it hoping that Israel would annex a little farther and include their community as part of Israel.

Did you mean Syrian druze or syrian jews lol. Syrian jews definitely support israel and zionism lol my Jewish relatives had to flee jobar 😂🤣

Спасибо, Илью! Таль в результате сократил по нашей просьбе интервью и добавил свои пояснения. Теперь вроде бы неплохо. Эл. адрес послал

Спасибо!

It belongs to the Muslim empire. The whole region without borders. United we stand...Divided we fall. Don't recognize the borders and flags they handed to us.

Golan heights will be never free Druze brothers and sisters has all time destiny under Israeli occupation..👈😄😂😁🇮🇱🇮🇱💪💪💪

@@AjeetSingh-vu2qq what are you trying to say? Lol. Of course it will the day of return is coming.

@@farestimani9204 I think You are not so fool that you can't understand my veiw Golan Heights is a Israeli teriotry never be return to Syria or free Your Druze brothers and sisters will be always under Israeli occupation 🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱💪💪👈😂😁😄

@@farestimani9204 The day will never come as you think 👈😂😁😄😄

@@AjeetSingh-vu2qq NOPE, they’re not your brothers, you’re their enemy 😃🇵🇸🇸🇾 And remember golan Druze are still refusing the Israeli nationality

כןןן אני גדלתי ועכשיו גר בירושלים.

@@talzeiger כן סליחה שאני כל כך חודרני. אני גרתי פעם בירושלים עחשיו נתקעתי בגרמניה בעשור האחרון הסגנון דיבור שלך מזכיר לי קצת את העברית של ירושלמים צברים עם הורים שמדברים אנגלית איתם .

​@@ashley-fk6dpGerman and Slavic language 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Hmm…. Nope

Baiklah mari kita katakan bersama-masa Lebih baik kehidupan di suriya dibanding, kehidupan di Israel.😂

Really ? Those are syrian druze who dont accept israeli citiziaship because they say it is invasion What happened to golan towns and people why most are living inside syria due to killing by jews Maybe jews should not hate nazis and love them No peace with invaders