Forgotten Territory: The Political, Economic & Social Impact of the Israeli Occupation on the Golan Heights, Part 5: Identity Issues in the Golan

This six-part series looks into the past and present of the Syrian Golan Heights, which have been under Israeli military occupation since the 1967 war.

by Andrea Dillon

Part 5 of this on-going series on the Golan Heights looks at the ways in which the unique aspects of life in the Golan have influenced Golanese identity. Since Israel first occupied the territory in 1967, Golanese Arabs have found their identities tested by the unusual circumstances that mark life in this small piece of land. Part 4 touched upon how the Golanese have, in many ways, been suspended between Israeli and Syrian cultures. These competing influences have, in turn, led to controversies within the Golanese Arab community about issues of collective identity. The relative political, economic, and social advantages enjoyed by the Golanese seems to have contributed further to this fragmentation. Examining these forces and their impact on identity issues within the community provides a unique insight into the state of Golanese society today.