The Village Claimed By Three Countries

The Media Line visits Ghajar, a complicated Alawite village claimed by Israel, Lebanon and Syria. Here's a synopsis of the conflicting claims.

Lebanon: Ghajar was always Lebanese.

Israel: Ghajar was captured from Syria. Returning it to Lebanon would embolden Hezbollah.

Syria: I'm not aware of any Syrian statements specifically regarding Ghajar, but Bashar Assad's regime is known to want all of the Golan returned. This would presumably include Ghajar.

Ghajar residents: They say they are Syrian, and no matter what political decision is made, Ghajar must not be divided.

On a recent IDF tour of the north for bloggers, an army spokeswoman told us the residents prefer to remain Israeli citizens, but would face reprisals if they said so publicly.

Related reading: Golan Village Divided By Fear