Nature Reserves in The Occupied Golan-The environment in the service of land control policy-
Dr. Nazeh Brik
29.11.2021
Introduction:
The June War of 1967 ended, with Israel taking control of an area of 1,260 square kilometers of the Syrian Golan Heights. About 60 square kilometers were returned to Syrian sovereignty in 1974 (Beger Gidon). Today, Israel controls 96% of the area it still occupies (1,200 square kilometers), which its ownership belonged to the Syrian state and the residents of hundreds of villages that the occupation forced demolished and expelled their residents outside the borders of its control. The remaining area (4%), still under the ownership of the five Syrian villages (Majdal Shams, Buqaatha, Masaada, Ain Qinya, and Ghajar), which were not affected by displacement and destruction. All these villages are located in the north of the Golan.
Israel defines the territory under its control as “State land”. Part of these lands have been placed at the disposal of the army and are used as training fields and for the establishment of military out posts. The largest part of the occupied lands was allocated to serve the settlement project (establishing settlements and developing the settlers' economic structure), another part was identified as nature reserves or national parks.
Releated Posts
Elections in Syrian villages in occupied Golan
Earlier this year, the Israeli authorities announced the decision to hold local elections on 3 October 2018 in the Syrian villages in the occupied Golan. These elections would be the first of their kind since the occupation just over fifty years ago.
EU diplomats visit the occupied Syrian Golan
Yesterday, 23 deputy ambassadors and senior diplomats from EU countries, and the EU delegation, visited Majdal Shams, one of the five remaining Syrian villages in the occupied Golan. The visit was to learn about the serious human rights situation of the Syrian population in the occupied Golan due to the Israeli occupation and the conflict in Syria.
2018 Universal Periodic Review of Israel
Al-Marsad calls on UN Human Rights Council members to raise human rights violations committed by Israel in the occupied Syrian Golan during Israel’s upcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in January 2018.
Since Israel’s last Universal Periodic Review in 2012, it has continued to implement policies that violate the basic human rights of the Syrian population in the occupied Syrian Golan. Al-Marsad's submission for Israel’s UPR covers six categories of Israeli violations during this period: (1) Illegal settlements and exploitation of natural resources; (2) Discriminatory housing and planning policies, and home demolition; (3) Landmines; (4) Revocation of residency; (5) Family separation; and (6) Education.
Al-Marsad’s full submission is available here. In brief, it highlights that:
Illegal settlements and exploitation of natural resources
95% of the occupied Golan is controlled by Israeli settlers and the Israeli military, with only 5% controlled by the remaining Syrian population.
In 2017, for the first time, the number of Israeli settlers (26,000) overtook the number of Syrians (25,000) living in the occupied Golan. Note - this is a revised figure since the submission was made.
In 2016, the Israeli government approved the construction of 1600 new settlement units in the illegal Israeli settlement of Katzrin. This follows announcements by Israeli government ministers in 2015 to encourage 100,000 new settlers to move to the occupied Golan.
In 2015, an Israeli company, Afek Oil & Gas, commenced oil exploration in the occupied Golan. In addition to natural resource exploitation, tourism is a staple of the settlement economy. Tourism to illegal settlements is promoted by the Israeli government and tourism industry, which market the occupied Golan as ‘Northern Israel’.
Discriminatory housing and planning policies, and home demolition
Discriminatory land and housing policies have led to severe overcrowding in the remaining Syrian villages in the occupied Golan. Syrians are forced to build homes without building permits to meet their housing needs. They risk fines of up to tens of thousands of dollars, potentially doubling the cost of construction, and the full or partial demolition of their homes.
In 2016, a home in Majdal Shams was illegally demolished by the Israeli authorities. Another 80-90 Syrian home owners have been issued with demolition orders.
Under the 'Hermon National Park' plan, the Israeli authorities are currently seeking to designate 82 km2 of land around two of the remaining Syrian villages as a national park. This would further impede the expansion of these already overcrowded villages.
Landmines
The equivalent of over 6000 football pitches are suspected to be mined in the occupied Golan. The Israeli military has laid minefields in and adjacent to Syrian villages on the pretext of security – often within just a few metres of people’s houses and where their children play. New anti-personnel mines were laid by Israel as recently as 2011.
It is estimated that at least 66 Syrians have been victims of landmines in the occupied Syrian Golan. Among them, 16 died, half of whom were children.
Minefield clearance by the Israeli authorities prioritises locations around Israeli settlements and agricultural land over Syrian residential and agricultural zones, despite the higher concentration of landmines in these areas.
Revocation of residency
The majority of Syrians hold a form of permanent residency status similar to Palestinians living in occupied East Jerusalem. However, whilst Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem are permitted to have Jordanian nationality, Israel categorises the nationality of Syrians in the occupied Golan as ‘undefined’.
The permanent residency status can be revoked if an individual’s ‘centre of life’ changes or if citizenship of another country is obtained. Around 100 Syrians from the occupied Golan have had their permanent residency status revoked. Holders of the permanent residency status cannot vote in the Israeli Knesset and therefore have no political representation.
Family separation
It is estimated that those forcibly transferred or displaced from the occupied Golan following the occupation and their descendants amount to approximately 500,000 people. Given the conflict in Syria, many have become internally displaced persons (IDPs) for a second time in their lifetime, or refugees.
Education
Under an imposed Israeli curriculum, Syrian school children in the occupied Golan receive little instruction of Syrian and Arab history, geography, literature and culture. Schools do not observe Syrian national holidays. Syrians have little say in how their schools are run and what their children are taught. Many schools have building deficiencies and do not meet basic safety standards.
ENDS
Al-Marsad is an independent, not-for-profit, legal human rights organisation – it is the only human rights organisation operating in the occupied Syrian Golan. For additional information, please contact marsad@temp.local or researcher@temp.local
50 years of occupation: Al-Marsad advocacy tour in Europe
Al-Marsad director Dr Nizar Ayoub and urban planner Dr Nazeh Brik will be in Belgium to speak about the experiences of the native Syrian population under the Israeli occupation. This year marks the 50 year anniversary of the occupation, which started in June 1967.
Adalah and Al-Marsad demand Israel remove army outposts and minefields from occupied Syrian town in the Golan Heights
Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel and Al-Marsad – Arab Human Rights Centre in the Golan Heights sent a letter to senior Israeli officials on 30 July 2017 demanding that they evacuate Israeli military outposts and minefields from the occupied Syrian town of Majdal Shams located in the Golan Heights.