The Golan Goes its Own Way

We've just finished the High Holidays, Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur. One of the themes in our prayers is that we're all one people. At least we're supposed to be One People. Unfortunately, we're a long way off from that.

There's an article in The Jerusalem Post, The Golan heresy - better than peace.

Over the years, mainstream attitude toward the Golan became totally different from that of the other "occupied territories." There are a number of real and perceived reasons for this. While Gaza, Judea and Samaria embodied the riots of two intifadas, a month of frustrating reserve service each year for many men, difficult pictures every night on TV and bearded religious settlers, the Golan symbolized something else.

The Heights, which in 1981 were recognized by the Knesset as being an official part of the State, are the only ski resort you don't have to fly to, the advent of good local wine and a favorite vacation destination in faux Swiss chalets. Instead of hostile Palestinians, the only indigenous population is in the three Druse villages, great places to stop for humous or labane while the border has been quiet since 1973. Instead of messianic settlers, the Golan is filled with attractive, secular farmers.

The reality is quite different. Half the moshavim in the Golan are religious (while a majority of Israelis living in the West Bank are not national-religious), the Druse maintain their allegiance to Damascus religiously and despite being relatively low-key, the IDF presence on the Heights is massive.

Here's the letter I wrote in response:

It's all clear when you remember the past. The article doesn't stress that the Golan was the launching pad pre-1967 of constant terror against the kibbutzim in the land below. Only after the Golan became Israeli did they live in peace. That's why it's filled with army and barbed wire.
The farmers of the Golan, even the religious ones, are part of the farming establishment. They're like the old-time NRP, partners with the Labor Party. They shun the "settler" label.

I wanted to write more, but there wasn't room. I wanted to write about how they also rejected as fellow-farmers the farmers of Gush Katif, even the religious farmers of the Golan.

Unfortunately, we're far from the unity we need.