The village is more than 350 years old, most of the residents came from the northern of Syria. It is located on the Hasbani river's " Alwazani spring,in the plain belowMount Hermon mountain to tthe east. Ghajjar village is a part of the Syrian Golan Heights area. During the six days war Israel conquered the Golan Heights .Liike the four other villages' Ghajjar has been occupied ever since. But when the the Israeli army conquered the Golan Heights, They stopped short of Gahjjar, The rsidents lived close to the border of Lebanon and anxiously seeking an Arab protectorate, They sent a delegations with the mayor M.r Salman Khatib to meet with local Lebanes authorities in Marjayon, The residents asked Lebanon to assume resposibility for them, and protect them from the Zionist conqueror but they were rebuffed.
For six weeks in the summer of 1967, Gahjjar was a " village with out a state" as one residents puts it. Cut off from Syria ( the home land ) , rejected by Lebanon , and simply ignored by Israel, which had no desire to occupy the village, the inhabitants found themselves starviing and isolated. At the end of July, the people raised a white flag, and urged Israel to, in efect, capture them. Israel built a fence all around the village, and there was only one enterance to the village from the east. The 1700 residents belong to the Alawite Mosllems , most of the elders still have the citizenship of Syria also they have families there in Syria.They wish to return to syria as soon as it can be, and to be an integrated part from the home land (Syria).
The villagers have the unity and they try to keep over the link between the families as it used to be before.There are both a primary school and junior high school where all the children learn. Nowadays there are about 20 students who study in Syria universities without any costs.The Syrian goverment is responsible for the students's expenses.If you ask the people here "Who are you"'? they realy say."We are syrian and we will stay Syrian and now Dr. Bshar Al-assad is our lovely leader and president. |