News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) Druze residents of the Golan Heights have called on Syria to break the "cultural siege" they say Israel has placed on their culture, and declared themselves to be an integral part of the Syrian - Arab nation.

Although Israeli sovereignty in the Golan Heights has brought unprecedented prosperity to the region, Druze residents have occasionally expressed a desire to restore Syria's brutal dictatorship to the area. These calls have often coincided with remarks by Israeli leaders that suggest Israel would be willing to cede the Heights for a political deal with Damascus, and some experts believe many Druze express loyalty to Syria because they fear violent reprisals by the Assad regime should the Golan ever return to Syrian administration.