Many in Israel-occupied Golan want peace, return to Syrian control

With the overthrow of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, many in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights say they want peace with Israel and a return to Syrian control.

Kamil Khater, a barber in the Druze Arab town of Majdal Shams, said: "We, the Syrians... want peace with everyone, including Israel."

But once the transition in Damascus is complete, he said, they want Golan to "return to the homeland, Syria".

Israel conquered most of the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and annexed those areas in 1981, in a move only the United States has recognised.

Many in the area still hold Syrian nationality, and residents have the right to apply for Israeli citizenship.

In Majdal Shams, people vigorously celebrated Assad's overthrow by Islamist-led forces over the weekend, gathering in the main square to sing and wave the distinctive five-coloured flag of the Druze.

The Druze are an ethno-religious minority living mostly in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel and the occupied Golan.

"We are happy about Assad's fall," said Umm Diaa, standing opposite "Shouting Hill", so-called because Syrian families separated by the armistice line exchange news there.

"We want a free Syria where the Syrian people are united, living in peace," she added.

Bashar al-Muqtat, another resident, said he hoped the Syrian people would "regain their legitimate rights in the Golan and the homeland of Syria".

The occupied Golan is also home to numerous Israeli settlements including Trump Heights, inaugurated in 2019 in honour of then-US president Donald Trump who recognised Israel's annexation.

- 'Hopeful' -

Amid the joy, there was also apprehension about what the future of Syria might look like.

Talal Abu Saleh, who works in a ski resort on nearby Mount Hermon, said he believed things could only improve.

"I am optimistic after Assad's downfall. I don't think anything worse than his regime could exist. There is always uncertainty, but I insist on remaining hopeful," the 69-year-old told AFP.

Khater said that he wanted to enjoy the present moment before worrying about the future.

"At this stage, we don't want to spoil our initial joy. The feeling is incredible, seeing this tyrant ousted after he oppressed, displaced and impoverished the Syrian people," he said.

Khater said that Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, whose Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) spearheaded the overthrow of Assad, had sent encouraging signals despite his past association with jihadist movements.

HTS has its roots in the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, with which it broke ties in 2016.

"They didn't raise their black flags, sending a message that this revolution belongs to all Syrians," Khater said, while cautioning against potential domination by any one faction.

In contrast, Muqtat was certain that Jolani and others leading the Syrian rebellion could not be trusted.

Calling them criminals, he said they had committed atrocities and were manipulated by foreign powers.

In Syria, the HTS-led rebel alliance this week appointed the former rebel governor of Idlib province Muhammad al-Bashir as interim prime minister.

In Idlib, long under HTS control, the group faced accusations from residents and rights groups of cracking down on and abusing dissenters.

The Israeli government has expressed no interest in giving up its control on the Golan Heights.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Israeli troops to seize the UN-patrolled buffer zone separating the Israeli and Syrian-controlled Golan at the weekend.

Afterwards, Netanyahu said that the annexed Golan would remain Israeli "for eternity".