The Israeli-occupied Golan Heights are home to about 20,000 Druze, an ethno-religious Arab sect. Most of them identify as Syrian but hold Israeli residence cards. With the end of the Assad regime, they are worried about the future for their families in Syria.
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00:00The news from Syria is a constant these days for Wafa Pateesh Shaha in Masada, in the Israeli-occupied
00:08Golan Heights.
00:09A Syrian Druze, she has family in both Lebanon and Syria.
00:16Here in the Golan, we are watching very closely, and we are worried.
00:22We are scared about the future of the Syrian people, all of them.
00:27And especially we are scared for our relatives and families who are in Syria.
00:38She talks to relatives in Syria every day.
00:42Just a few miles away, over the border, people are optimistic.
00:46How are you?
00:47Tell me if you're okay.
00:50Thank God, thank God.
00:51We are very happy.
00:52We are celebrating.
00:53And I'm now in Karameh Square.
00:55People came from a couple of places, coming to Sueda, to share in our happiness.
01:03But here, a few kilometers away, in Masht al-Shams, right on the ceasefire line with
01:08Syria, people are also watching Israel's reaction.
01:12I'm right here at the ceasefire line and the buffer zone between Israel and Syria.
01:17Israeli military have moved in.
01:19And many people here see that as a violation of the agreement which set up that buffer
01:24zone.
01:25Israel said it has ceased some areas which were left by the Syrian forces, and that the
01:311974 disengagement agreement between the two countries has collapsed.
01:38Most people in this Druze town choose not to become Israeli citizens when the Golan
01:43Heights were captured and occupied in 1967, and later annexed by Israel.
01:51In Masht al-Shams, there are conflicting opinions.
01:57First of all, I am pro-Assad.
02:00But what happened, it's not my decision.
02:04I am sorry for what happened.
02:06But I hope that the situation will be better than before.
02:15This regime was collapsed because he was unjust.
02:20He violated the Syrians.
02:21He killed them.
02:22He bombed them with everything, with barrels, with bombs, with missiles, with chemical weapons.
02:28I think there is no single regime in the world did it to his people except Assad.
02:37Another worry is what comes next for Syria.
02:39Wafa is cautiously optimistic that the new transitional government will protect all communities,
02:46including the Druze community in Syria.
02:50Now that Assad has fallen, we are scared, because Joulani was with al-Nusra, which was
02:55considered a terrorist organization.
02:58But we see how they are dealing with things on the ground.
03:05When they entered Aleppo, there's been no problem with the other communities.
03:16Hopes and fears that are likely to keep people on edge for weeks to come.