One of the most infamous topographic regions in the Middle East is the Golan Heights. This plateau borders four countries – Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria – whose shared history includes numerous battles against each other, including one as recently as 2006. The Golan was taken by Israel from Syria in the 1967 War and is the primary fuel for these two countries’ ongoing dispute, which motivates Syria to support militants that harass Israel from Southern Lebanon and the West Bank. As the U.S. is the primary benefactor of Israel, the Israeli-Syrian dispute also motivates Syria to support the Sunni insurgents in Iraq that are harassing the U.S. forces there. With a settlement to the Golan Heights dispute, Syria’s relations with Israel, as well as with the U.S., would greatly improve.
The Abrahamic School is named after Abraham, the forefather of the Abrahamic family of religions, which includes both Judaism and Islam. The school is a proposed day school for the children of the following:
- Syria’s national politicians in Damascus;
- Syria's Daraa Governorate leaders, based in the governorate's
capital, Daraa;
- Israeli leaders of the North District, which includes the Golan
Heights and whose capital is Nazareth;
- Jordan's Irbid Governorate leaders, based in the governorate's
capital, Irbid; and
- the general public from the three countries, including Jewish
Israeli settlers living in the southern part of the Golan Heights.
Nazareth itself is a city of mostly Arab Israelis, so most of the Jewish students coming from this area will actually be from Nazareth Illit, which borders Nazareth proper.
Without proclaiming the legality of Israel’s control of the Golan Heights, the school will be located on a plateau just above the Yarmouk River at the southern end of the U.N. demilitarized zone (UNDOF), which lies between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syria. This location is roughly 40 km from Nazareth, 100 km from Damascus, 25 km from Daraa, and 20 km from Irbid. No side will have to send their children across land controlled by one of the others' militaries. The Syrians may want to build a high-speed rail system from Damascus to this region to shorten the travel time for their students as the Israelis might want to do the same with a train from Nazareth. This could then be the precursor in peacetime for a high-speed Syrian-Israeli rail line with a spur that would go to Irbid and on to Amman, the Jordanian capital. To view a map showing the Golan Heights, the UNDOF zone, and the relative distances to Damascus, Nazareth, Irbid, and Daraa, click here. Look at the southwest corner of the map.
For a powerful film about a family divided by the Golan Heights demilitarized zone, see the film, The Syrian Bride. It won best-picture awards at film festivals in Europe and Canada.
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