Golan Heights Drusen reconsider citizenship
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On the Golan Heights, a region annexed by Israel, many Drusen people are now applying for Israeli citizenship after decades of identifying with Syria.
This shift follows a rocket attack in July 2024 that killed twelve children in the village of Madschdal Shams. The rocket, likely fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon, struck a football field during a game.
For years, the Drusen, a religious community with roots in Islam, largely rejected Israeli citizenship, maintaining a connection to Syria despite living in the Israeli-occupied territory since 1967. However, recent events, including violence in Syria and the attack on the children, are changing their perspective. Laith Abu Saleh, who lost his 16-year-old son in the attack, now feels a sense of belonging to Israel, stating he has “no other place” to identify with.
The fighting in Syria, particularly in the city of Suwaida, also impacted the Drusen community on the Golan Heights. Clashes between Drusen and Bedouin tribes in Suwaida in July 2025, along with the involvement of Syrian government forces, resulted in over 2,000 deaths and left many feeling abandoned by the Syrian government. This prompted some Drusen from the Golan Heights to attempt to cross the border and assist their relatives.
Between 2022 and 2024, approximately 500 to 600 Drusen applied for Israeli passports each year. In 2025, that number jumped to 3,750, and by March 2026, around 40 percent of the Drusen on the Golan Heights had become Israeli citizens.
