Golan 2

Hello everyone!

This afternoon, we continued exploring the Golan Heights, a plateau of volcanic basalt rock brought up from the depths by the same forces that formed the Great Rift Valley in Ethiopia and, are splitting the crust of the earth in two.  Splitting, a separation; How fitting!  The Golan Heights, the result of a geologic separation, today serves as a geopolitical separation.  It serves as a buffer between the chaos of modern-day Syria, and the infinitely less chaotic modern day Israel.  Perhaps no point is more indicative of this than the summit of Mount “BenTal”(the meaning of the name is son of Avital).  It’s literally next to the border overlooking Syria. On one side you see  land deliberately left in ruin, not by a fleeing army but by the government of Syria, itself.  On the other side is Israel, a land green and prosperous.  While there is little question that the Golan Heights serves as a form of protection from the chaos of Syria, it also serves as a barrier.  Due to the current Syrian mess, the border is heavily restricted with good reason.  

But it also  prevents the local Druish people from visiting their relatives. Druze, who are a unique local group completely separate from Muslims, have occupied the area of the Golan Heights for over a millenia, an area now split between Israel, Lebanon, and Syria.  They are a people we have now come to have great respect for.  Their beliefs are their own and not bandied about like just about every other religion.  They have in no way contributed to the current state of affairs in the region, but they are nonetheless a victim of the area’s geopolitical morass.  While we feel that Israel is safer because of the Golan Heights, we feel for the Druish people.