Golan Druze dropping Syrian identity in favor of Israeli citizenship

“Here in Israel, my family is respected, and this is where I want to be,” says a Druze man from the Golan Heights.

By World Israel News Staff

In a seismic cultural shift, Druze residents of Israel’s Golan Heights are increasingly turning their backs on their Syrian identities and embracing Israeli citizenship and identity — a dramatic change for a community that for decades largely refused to accept Israeli citizenship despite being entitled to it.

Since Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967, Druze residents of the region that became part of Israel have largely insisted on maintaining their loyalty to Syria. Entire communities, guided by their religious leaders, refused to accept Israeli citizenship and instead chose to remain without citizenship, living as permanent residents.

For decades after the war, the vast majority of Druze from the Golan region continued to identify as Syrian.

But several developments in recent years have prompted a major shift within the community. Since 2025, approximately 40 percent of Golan Druze have obtained Israeli citizenship — a remarkable turnaround after some 50 years of resistance to becoming Israeli citizens.

One of the primary catalysts was the rise of Syria’s new leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, and the bloody persecution of non-Sunni Muslim minorities under his rule. In southern Syria, mass violence against the Druze resulted in the deaths of at least 2,000 people, according to reports.

The bloodshed shattered the belief of many Golan Druze that the territory might eventually be returned to a Syrian state, which would presumably respect the Druze’s rights and security.

“Hope died inside us,” Qasem Sabbagh, a Druze from the Golan Heights, told the Times of Israel. “We’re all very disappointed. I cannot ever belong to a country that does not respect its own people. Here in Israel, my family is respected, and this is where I want to be.”

Another major factor was the 2024 Majdal Shams massacre, when a Hezbollah rocket struck a soccer field in the Golan Heights, killing 12 Druze children and teenagers.

The shift also reflects a broader transformation in how younger generations of Golan Druze view their identity and relationship with Israel.

“When we were growing up, we were taught to speak of ourselves as Syrians,” Sabbagh told the Times of Israel. “There has been a big change in Druze society.”