Golan Heights: Syria

Wow where do I begin on this one. First of all, the Golan Heights is what the international community refers to as "occupied territories" you hear about all the time (I hope you know your current events. If not, go away. Just kidding. Kinda). It is a large plateau up north of Israel bordering Syria to the East and Lebanon to the north, which amounts to 6% of Israel (only according to Israel, cuz according to others it amounts to 100% occupied Golan territories. Just sayin'.). Until the Six Day War in 1967 the Golan Heights was happily Syrian until it was suddenly Syrian no more, because--tum dum dummm--Israel wanted it some Golan Heights too. Well no, legend has it that Israel tried to return the heights in exchange for being BFFs with Syria but Syria politely refused the offer, so Israel decided fair dues and rejectedly kept the land. And what lovely land it was--Golan Heights is agriculturally rich and produces 15% of all of Israel's water supply. Golan settlements also allegedly make the yummiest wine ever, and it's such a shame you've pledged to never touch it because endorsing settlement activity is totally PIC (I support your decision). 

On set of Lord of the Rings. Just kidding, it's the Golan Heights innit

The little known fact about the Golan Heights, apart from the fact that no one seems to know about the Golan Heights itself, is that the physical border between Israel and Syria is MANNED--that is, it is actually made up of UN personnel holding hands in peace and harmony over an 80 km stretch. Or maybe not exactly holding hands, but they're there, and they are called UNDOF: United Nations Disengagement Observer Force by Steven Spielberg. I think the UNDOF mission is the most successful and thus least known UN mission ever, and I gotta say they sprinkled that border with sugar and spice and everything nice. The place was really clean and well run, and full of soldiers which is always a bonus. 

UNDOF staff unpacking furbys and adorable kittens...--how did you think they maintain the peace in the Middle East?

Me hangin out.. you know how we do 

 There are two more cool things about the UNDOF border I remember. One, the Golan occupation physically separated families and villages, a significant number of Syrian citizens remaining on the "Israeli" side. Brides and students are occasionally allowed to cross the border on a one-way trip of a lifetime (meaning--there's no return). There is a movie about that--Syrian brides clad in wedding dresses strutting their funky stuff across the border, surrounded by soldiers, having bade adieu to their family. A bit sad, really. 


The other cool thing is the town of Quneitra--the ex-Syrian HQ of Golan Heights, capitulated to Israel in the Six Day War. It is not so much a city as it is a ghost of something that with a lot of imagination could once have been a city, lying within the UNDOF border and forbidden to be rebuilt by the Syrian authorities as a reminder of Israeli might and wreath. 

This was actually my view at the dining table as I dined in fear of the force of nature that is Israel

 Driving through what actually felt like the set of the Pianist

The Golan hospital must have been a particular source of anger for someone with a machine gun 

So that's it for now.. spread the word about the fluffy and nice that is the UNDOF border!