Passage of students and pilgrims

For the Syrian Arab residents of the occupied Golan, travel to Syria proper is severely curtailed, if not impossible. As a neutral intermediary, the ICRC works with officials on both sides of the UN-controlled demilitarized zone to enable residents to cross back and forth for studies and religious purposes. For 14 years the ICRC has been helping make it possible for pilgrims (Druze Sheikhs) to cross the zone and, during the annual Druze pilgrimage in September in 2008, it helped 388 pilgrims make the crossing.
For over 16 years the ICRC has been helping enable students to cross into Syria to attend university. In 2008 over 550 students made the crossing in nine operations organized by the ICRC.


Visits to detainees

The organization regularly visits Syrian Arab detainees held by the Israeli authorities. In 2008, ICRC delegates visited 12 detainees from the occupied Golan in nine different places of detention in Israel. They also registered one newly detained person from the Golan. There are reported to be 21 detainees from the occupied Golan in Israeli prisons.

All Golanese detainees registered by the ICRC can receive visits from their immediate families through the ICRC's family visit programme. In 2008, over 230 people made 198 visits to their detained relatives. In accordance with its standard working procedures, the ICRC monitors the conditions of detention, shares its findings with the relevant authorities in confidence and follows up on implementation of its recommendations.

Weddings

The ICRC helps with the practical arrangements for weddings (including security clearances for wedding guests) between Syrian Arab residents of the occupied Golan and their prospective partners living in Syria proper. The wedding ceremonies – which also present a rare occasion for separated family members to meet up, if only for an hour – take place under ICRC auspices in the demilitarized zone at Kuneitra crossing point. In 2008, the ICRC facilitated one wedding. The ICRC has been engaged in this activity for more than 20 years.


Family visits to Syria

The vast majority of the 21,100 Syrian Arab residents of the Occupied Golan have close relatives living in Syria proper but are unable to visit or even contact them because of the sealed separation zone. In the past, the ICRC ran what was known as the ‘family-visit’ programme which allowed family members to meet in Syria once a year for two weeks.

This programme was abruptly stopped in 1992. The ICRC has made several appeals, and continues to do so, for the resumption of the visits. However, the visits have yet to resume. The inability to maintain social, cultural and family ties has an immense effect on the Syrian Arab population of the occupied Golan. Indeed, the resumption of family visits is considered by the majority of Golanese as the single most important issue related to the occupation and one which urgently needs to be resolved.

A newly established grass-roots community group of around 50 women illustrates the plight of the Golanese. Over the years, group members have moved from Syria proper to marry someone from and take up residence in the occupied Golan, thereby relinquishing their right and that of their children to ever return to their places of origin in Syria proper. In 2008 the group made several strong appeals to the ICRC to revive the programme for family visits to Syria.

The ICRC considers the resumption of the programme a priority and as such continues its efforts at the highest levels to bring this about. In 2008 it intensified efforts among the diplomatic and media circles to raise their awareness of this important humanitarian issue.

In September 2008, the ICRC facilitated the crossing of 13 residents from the occupied Golan to Syria to pay their condolences to close relatives. The Israeli authorities had made an exception and issue them with travel permits.

Exchange of official papers and Red Cross messages

The ICRC transfers official papers such as powers of attorney, birth, death and marriage certificates and property documents, between the occupied Golan and Syria proper. This service provides an essential lifeline that reinforces family unity across the separation line and helps to support Syrian Arab families living in the occupied Golan to deal with a complicated legal situation. In 2008, the ICRC transferred 100 power of attorney documents, along with numerous other official documents and certificates to Syria proper. The ICRC also received and distributed Red Cross messages, enabling Syrian Arab residents and their family members on the other side to exchange news.

Economic initiatives

In 2008, upon the request of Israel and Syria, the ICRC transported 8,000 tonnes of apples from the occupied Golan through the 1974 separation line to Syrian markets. This represents an important boost to the local economy as well as a significant economic and humanitarian channel between Syrian Arab farmers of the occupied Golan and Syrian markets. The programme is feasible because all parties recognize the ICRC’s neutral intermediary role. Similar operations have been taking place since 2005.