Israel Speaks
Syria is Israel's northeastern neighbour. The borderline between -
the countries runs in the Golan Heights, where 40 000 Israelis live.
In 1973, after the war of Yom Kippur, the border has been -
very peaceful, despite of the tensions between Israel and Syria.
The Israeli border is guarded by the country's Defense Forces.
Syria's narrow border zone is guarded by the United Nations.
For two years a bloody civil war has been going on in Syria.
Some sources say the number of casualties has risen up to 100 000.
Many rebel groups aim to overthrow the President Bashar Assad -
whose family has ruled Syria since 1970.
Officially, Israel doesn't interfere with the battles going on in Syria.
Yet, both President Assad and some of his opponents have threatened -
to also start firing towards Israel in the near future.
At the end of May in 2013 we went to visit Golan in northern -
Israel to see how the Syrian situation is affecting the lives -
of Israeli citizens living near the border.
In the south of Golan there is a border point of three countries.
From there, Jordania is located to the south and -
Syria to the north of Israel.
Our first stop was to Katzrin, the biggest settlement in Golan, with -
a population of 7000. It is located 10 kilometers from Syria's border.
Michal Reikin has lived in Golan for over 20 years. She is responsible -
for the communal activies of Golan's regional council.
Golan has settlements that are very close to the border.
There the sounds of the Syrian war can be heard clearly.
In other places in Golan it is hard to tell whether the sounds come -
from Israeli military exercises or from the war on Syria's side.
It is very confusing.
In the border settlements you can hear the sounds of war yourself.
A few times in the past months shots have been fired from Syria onto -
Israel's side: rockets have fallen near settlements or army bases.
So far, the army has said the firing has not been directed -
towards Israel but has rather been a case of stray rocket shooting.
The residents of Golan are preparing for a possible escalation of fire.
In the past months we have done a lot of work to prepare -
the homefront for emergencies.
We have lived in peace for 40 years.
The Syrian border has been the calmest in the country for long.
We have been very proud of that.
In the past months, the reality here has changed.
The situation is very sensitive.
The residents must be made aware of the situation, -
even though nothing drastic has yet happened.
Three, four stray rockets that have not been meant to be fired -
towards Israelis, is not yet a shocking event.
A need for preparation has come.
We must successfully bring a new level of awareness to the people.
We have to open the rocket shelters.
Close contact must be kept with the settlement leaders.
For every 32 settlements there is one emergency group, which -
consists of leaders of the settlement, its educational -
system, healthcare, agriculture and other areas of activity.
The regional council is continually in touch with these groups -
and has already trained them systematically for a few months.
In doing so, we hope to convey a message to the citizens that -
we have to operate calmly, without fear or panic.
We have to prepare for a different kind of reality.
The situation is sensitive and can turn around abruptly.
Commander-on-chief on the field.
Golan Heights has always been used by the army for military exercises.
In past months both the soldiers and exercises have increased in number.
Especially in the summer this creates wildfires in the area.
We stay in very close contact with the army.
The message they keep sending is that Israel has no interests -
to initiate any kind of military operations.
However, it's important for us to be prepared and make sure that the -
other side understands that we won't let the situation develop into -
what it is in the south of Israel where the citizens live under -
constant threat of rocket fire.
We continued our journey to the next settlement.
With a population of 400, Alonei Habashan is Israel's -
easternmost settlement.
That is Israel's army base.
Behind it is UK's demilitarized zone and then we are in Syria.
- How far away is the border?
- Syria is one kilometer away.
Atara Rabin has lived in Alonei Habashan for five years.
She is in charge of the settlement's tourism activities.
People all over Israel come here.
The scenary, weather and temperature resembles that of Switzerland.
People enjoy coming here, especially during the warm season.
The Syrian war has caused a change in the atmosphere of Alonei Habashan.
This is also the only settlement that has been directly hit by a rocket.
The biggest change has happened in the background sounds.
Extra sounds were added to the sounds of birds and crickets.
At first it was very difficult.
Every time you hear a boom, somebody even here might die.
It is not an easy thought to live with.
It feels hard to know that people there are getting hurt and die.
When it becomes a routine you get used to it, unfortunately.
That is how it began.
Then we got some stray shooting from Syria's side.
One of the rockets hit us, but thank God, it didn't blow up.
We reacted to it as what they say it was, a stray rocket.
If they really wanted to fire at us, they would have already done it.
We are not making it a big deal.
People think that we are in the war zone.
That is not the case.
When people call they ask: How is everything there now?
I answer: All is good. And you?
People are asking questions but as of now, everything is fine.
Many old Syrian military buildings can still be seen in Golan.
They are a memory of a time before the year 1967.
During that time Syrian's army ruled over Golan and used it mostly as -
a place to fire at the Israeli settlements below.
Such a building from the Syrian times is also located in the -
middle of Merom Golanin Kibbutz's agricultural areas.
Gabi Koniel has lived in Merom Golanin for 25 years. He manages -
the agricultural department of this 600 resident Kibbutz.
In ten days we will start cherry picking.
Our agriculture is very diverse.
Our Kibbutz is located 1000 meters above sea level.
This is the highest region in the country that has both a -
snowy winter and a warm summer.
The crop types go along with it.
Apples, cherries, kiwis, pears, apricots, nectarines.
We also have big vineyards and grape varieties suitable to the climate.
The agriculture of Merom Golan Kibbutz and the whole Golan area -
is very important for the economy.
Gabi also tells us about Merom Golan Kibbutz's Finnish connection.
On September 11th of last year, Nikolai Silander passed away.
It was a very sad thing for us.
He moved to Israel in 1974 with his wife Elina.
They lived in Merom Golan.
The whole time Nikolai worked in the apple orchards of our Kibbutz.
He was a genuine farmer.
They arrived with one child; three were born later.
Nikolai nurtured, planted in and loved the land.
He found a mutation that he managed to develop a new kind of apple -
species from. It is only possible in one case out of a thousand.
I hope that we found a new species.
After he passed away from the sickness, we decided to register -
the apple species with his name, as it had not been named until now.
Now there is a unique Nikolai - apple species in the world.
Now only in Merom Golan, 800 trees of this species are planted.
In a honorable memorial service we commemorated this christian who -
came into the country 35 years ago.
He wanted to bring his family to the State of Israel.
He left us with a new apple species, which will yield its -
first harvest in four years.
It is a good way to pay tribute to the planter who lived and -
worked in Merom Golan Kibbutz.
Daily Gabi goes to work at the fruit orchards of Kibbutz that stretch -
out near to the border fence.
Quneitra, an abandoned Syrian city can be seen behind the border.
We are aware of what happened a few years ago behind the -
eastern neighbour's border.
Unfortunately, over 80 000 Syrians have died.
Great unrest and turmoil is going on right next to us.
It hasn't affected our daily life.
From the news we know what is going on in Syria and it is very sad.
We have no partner to cooperate with on that side and maybe never will.
We don't know who is going to take the lead after the current chaos; -
rebels, al-Qaida's supporters, the current government or someone else.
There is no certainty of the future.
The only thing that bothers us during the day is the sounds of -
the shootings and explosions.
Our fruit orchards are close to the border fence, facing Quneitra.
We have over 200 people working at our plantations daily.
There are orchards also in the neighbouring settlements.
We hear and see the clashes.
Sometimes wounded people come to Quneitra's border crossing -
to get treatment on Israel's side.
It is hard to get treatment in Syria.
In a way its absurd, that we, actually the Golan Druze, -
take apples to Syria.
Already for four years it has been possible to take fruit from the -
State of Israel into Syria.
This is one example of the oddities of the Middle East.
In the middle of war apple boxes cross the borders.
Only possible in the Middle East.
The tip of the northern borderline is also Israel's northernmost point.
There the ridge of Mount Hermon rises to a height of over 2000 meters.
The west side of the mountain belongs to Israel and its -
east peaks to Syria.
Israel's only ski resort is located in Hermon, with tens of thousands -
of visitors in the winter season. In the summer months visitors -
come to enjoy its beautiful view.
Marcel Atar, Hermon's marketing director, has lived in Golan -
already for 40 years. He also hears and senses the -
echoes of the Syrian war.
Sometimes we hear explosions.
Last year we had lots of people come and watch the events -
happening on the other side.
War is not something that is nice to watch and I would -
rather not hear any explosion sounds.
It scares both animals and people.
I can't say that we are not worried.
We see how the citizens in South Israel are suffering.
I have family in Ashdod. It was hard to believe they could be in danger.
There are no longer completely safe places in this county.
However, you can say here it is the safest.
Mount Hermon's peak is about two kilometers from Syria's border.
Even if the situation between Israel and Syria got more tense, Marcel -
believes that the area around Hermon will remain relatively safe.
The border is relatively far and it is easier to manage the -
environment from the mountains.
Besides, in the future war will be fought more or less with missiles, -
instead of guerrillas and such.
At times, we have been on the alert because of Hisballah.
So, we already have some experience.
There is a certain fear in the air.
However, we don't live in a city but in small, -
well-equipped habitations.
We feel safer.
The public opinion around the world seems to oppose President Assad, -
who has killed many of his own people with the help of the army.
However, in the past months pictures of rebels also doing -
violent acts have spread around. Some of them are even announcing -
that after Assad has been overthrown, Israel is next in line.
We asked Golan's residents what they think about the warring parties.
The situation isn't black-and-white.
I will be very worried if radical Islamic groups -
take the charge in Syria.
On the other hand, Assad is not an ideal ruler.
It is always alarming when the ruling power is not passed on in a -
democratic way but by dictatorial means or from father to son.
If any unstable group takes control after the war, the -
the situation will worsen for us.
We have gotten along with the Assads already for 46 years.
First father and now son. We know how to relate to each other.
Now there is a countless number of groups in Syria fighting each -
other and not getting along.
Maybe the old and familiar is better.
This is my opinion.
Most important is that we could both sleep our nights in peace.
Neither Assad or the rebels, are better than the other.
There are fools on both sides; neither should be supported.
It is good and enjoyable for the residents of both Golan and the -
State of Israel for Syria to have a stable government.
A government you can talk to, that keeps the border peaceful, one -
you can negotiate and reach a mutual understanding with.
It is not to Israel's benefit that Syria's government is falling apart.
The result of the current chaotic situation might be that extreme -
Islamic groups will start to rule on the other side of the border.
They are not a threat only to us but also to the rest of the world.
They might use us as a catalyst to set the whole area on fire and -
to justify the extreme nationalist regilious activities.
Even though the situation has security-wise lately changed, -
Golan's residents are so far not so worried.
I always try to look at the matters from different viewpoints.
As a mother and a resident of Golan I have fears.
I really fear, when my son is soon going into the army, -
despite the Syrian war.
I also understand that we have to act in a healthy manor: to do -
what is right in a responsible way.
If we must live under the constant threat of rocket fire, we can take -
example from Western Negev where we have already been to learn how to -
handle community living under life-threatening circumstances.
Courageous and strong people live there. They have stood -
their ground for years already.
The people can be able to resist as long as we believe in its power.
We can stay strong even in these circumstances.
We are studying it but I hope we won't have to use the knowledge.
Golan has been the safest place in the country for 25 years.
There are no Palestinians here and we have managed to keep -
the border peaceful with our eastern neighbours.
It requires a lot of money, military force and technology, -
both on the land and in the air.
We know what's going on in Syria.
It takes a lot of money to secure the peace of the borders.
As civilians and humans we feel sorry for our Syrian neighbours.
It doesn't affect our daily lives.
Occasionally, the media brings the issue up.
Our tourism department gets some cancellations -
when people hear about the stray rockets and other random incidents -
even though the hits have occured outside the settlements.
Other than that, we live and work in a normal pattern.
In 1967 Syria attacked Israel and as a result of that war, -
Israel invaded Golan.
Since then, many countries and organizations have not accepted -
Golan as part of the State of Israel. Before the beginning of -
Syria's civil war, also some people in Israel were ready to -
hand Golan over to Syria in exhange for a peace treaty.
Syria's civil war made it clear to Israelis and to many others -
around the world, that giving up Golan would not bring peace -
between Syria and Israel.
The unrest in Syria also reinforced the importance of Golan's role as -
a defender; already as a land area it serves as a buffer zone between -
the Syrian violence and the more densely populated areas of Israel.
Golan is a battlefield.
Its image has changed in the past ten years, mostly due to the -
information we have spread about it.
According to polls we have conducted, most Israelis feel it's -
very important to support the Golan settlement, especially in -
the light of the Syrian events.
The past ten years have been a time of renewal, growth -
education and strong tourism development.
Golan is domestically the most important destination with -
3.5 million visitors yearly: the highest numbers in the country.
We ask residents in central Israel, what does Golan -
mean to them and what is their image of it.
It is no longer remembered for wars, memorials and political conflicts -
as it was 15-20 years ago.
Now Golan is known for jeep safaris, an ancient synagogue -
and rushing rivers.
That is the right direction.
The right kind of action from our side and international help that -
could solve the Syrian situation in a way that ensures stability would -
support Golan's development.
Hopefully Syria will get a government that we can -
peacefully co-exist with.
Every year I plant new trees, grapewines and vegetables.
A cherry or apple tree seedling starts to bear fruit -
in about four years.
I ordered the seedlings two years in advance, -
so we the first fruits will come six years from now.
We are not denying the reality, -
but we can't allow the fluctuations of the news affect our daily lives.
The travels of the USA's foreign minister or hearing other messages.
Life goes on and so we also must continue planting.
We must take care of the trees and wait for the fruit.
Farming is hard work but we love what we do.
We are looking ahead.
Subtitles: Hanna Österlund