Divided no more: A new reality for the unique Ghajar village

Until last week, driving into the village of Ghajar in the Golan Heights was quite a hassle. 

Amid the contradictions of one of the world’s most notoriously complicated political riddles – Israel’s relationship with its neighbors and minorities – Ghajar manages to stand out. 

Entry used to be restricted to residents only or to those with special permits. But that changed last week, when Israel decided to lift all limits on movement into the village.

"This decision actually took us by surprise. Nobody told us about it in advance. In the morning, people said that the border policemen who are usually at the checkpoint are no longer there. But if the army took this decision we trust them," local Council Spokesman Bilal Khateeb told i24NEWS.

Ghajar is located on the Lebanese border with the Golan Heights. Literally, as the border runs through it.

Sometimes it's been claimed by Lebanon, Syria, and Israel. Other times, it's been cut off from them all. It landed in its strange position following the 1967 Six Day War, in which Israel captured the Golan Heights.

In 1981, when Israel passed a law formally annexing the Golan Heights, it offered residents the right to citizenship. An offer declined by most of the Golan’s Syrian Druze community, but taken up by the residents of Ghajar. 

The villagers hale from the Alawite community, an ethnoreligious group that mixes many of the tenants of Islam and Christianity. Best known as being the ruling elite of the regime of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, most Alawites live along the Syrian coastal strip. 

Following Israel’s withdrawal from its security zone in southern Lebanon in 2000, the United Nations set the international border directly through the village, splitting it into two: the southern part under Israeli control - even though according to the UN, the land was Syrian territory - and the northern part located in Lebanon.

And so, despite originally being Syrian, most of Ghajar's 2,500 inhabitants hold dual Israeli and Lebanese citizenship.

Although when asked, most opposed dividing the town and opted to remain under Israeli rule.

"Look, we are Syrians, living in a Syrian village and we remain Syrian. Nothing has changed. We have Israeli citizenship and we belong to the State of Israel. We adhere to its laws and we protect our home. That's all," explained local tour guide Jamal Khateeb.

But with no effective border on its northern end, Ghajar became infamous in recent years as a hub of arms and drug smuggling from Lebanon. But that changed in late July. The local council erected a fence, completely blocking access from Lebanon into the village.

Previously, no fence ever existed that blocked access to Ghajar from Lebanese territory.

"Now, we are like any other village or town in Israel and people can enter it freely," noted Bilal Khateeb.

And Israelis appear to have taken that invitation, already flocking to the village.

"We like to travel and to visit authentic places. We heard that you can enter the village freely without any supervision, and we happened to be staying in a place nearby, so we decided to come here and take a look," said Rivka, a visitor from the Tel Aviv satellite town of Bat Yam.

Hassan, from the town of Jaljulia, northeast of Tel Aviv, visited Ghajar for the first time. He heard about the Israeli government's decision on social media and thought " this can really help the local tourism." 

At the local restaurant, The Blue Line, the new reality is already visible. And this flurry of tourism comes at a crucial time for Ghajar, as Covid saw a sharp decline in visitors.

"Economically, this is a very good and positive decision. It can really help with tourism and bring more business. So that would be really helpful for the village," said Khader Yahia Alahmad, a local restaurant owner.

But the optimism is tempered.

"Look, there is some concern among the locals. We've been closed off for two decades and we're worried that some negative elements will now come into the village," Alahmad explained.

"We are now like any other village or town in Israel. Anyone can come and visit freely," Bilal Khateeb added. But, he warned that "anyone who comes to make noise or cause problems won't be allowed to enter." 

These worries aside, locals hope that with the new free access to the public, the tourists will start reviving the village, maybe even returning it to its former glory.

For a longer examination of Ghajar's history, and how it ended up in its unusual legal status, read this explanation from 2020.