Damascus,(ST)- The folklore magazine devoted its sixteenth issue to folklore in the occupied Syrian Golan in its various fields and arts, in addition to talking about the resistance of its citizens their heroism and their adherence to their roots Syria.

The Ministry of Culture indicated that documenting the Golan’s heritage is a national duty that the Ministry promotes as a civilized part of its mission in the construction of an educated national person, while the editor-in-chief, Dr. Thaer Zain Al-Din, explained in his article that was entitled “A kiss on the forehead of our people in the Golan” that the popular heritage of the Golan is  amongst the richest heritage in the world, stressing the need to preserve it from loss and attempts to obliterate and falsify it.

Every year, a 50-year-old man leaves his farmland in the occupied Golan on a quiet afternoon spring and goes with his small family to the occupied town of Majdal Shams to meet a date at the village's border with relatives inside Syrian territory, carrying a basket full of apples with distinctive taste produced by his land.  But unfortunately he could only carry the loudspeaker to hear his relatives effortlessly, and without much impact from the mixing of shouts with others who have the same goal. They stand in front of gray barbed wire preventing them from passing to Syrian territory.

This is not a cinematic scene that tells the details of life in a previous era, but a reality That has been imposed since 1967 when the Syrian Golan was occupied by the Israeli occupation which will add other concerns for this man and other residents of the Golan, as a result of Washington’s  recognition of Israeli sovereignty on  the area .

The Israeli looting of the Golan’s natural resources and agricultural goods has not stopped for a day since the military occupation and national absence for over more than half a century. The settlers seized an area of 100,000 dunums of Syrian land, used by the settlements to grow fruits and vegetables, grains and flowers, and the rest of the land was classified as natural and military reserves.

Tourism in the occupied Syrian Golan occupies the second place, which includes about 100 thousand tourist rooms, which can accommodate about one and a half million tourists annually.

The governorate of al Quneitra or Golan, south west of Syria, is 1860 square km, with al Quneitra city, as the provincial capital. The name Quneitra was derived from the Arabic word Qantara which means an arch bridge, because Quneitra is on the cross roads between Syria, Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon. The governorate has a unique diverse terrain starting by Lake Tiberias in the south 212 m below sea level which climbs up to the peak of Mt. Hermon, 2814 m above sea level in the north. This position and geography made the governorate of a special importance, geographically, historically and environmentally.

The Israeli occupation of the Syrian Golan should end either by peace or otherwise. Israel has been exploiting the crisis and has contributed as a pro-terrorist groups backer to this war.

Unfortunately, the USA, a co-sponsor of Madrid Peace Process, has blindly followed and served occupation greed and schemes. Mr. Trump’s March 2019, proclamation that he “recognizes that the Golan Heights are part of the State of Israel.” is indeed a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms. The US government redrawing of maps not to mention Netanyahu’s plans to name a settlement in Golan after Trump, would never change the reality nor would diminish the Syrians’ determination as to liberate their Golan.