Israeli Military Operation in Syria ‘Wise and Correct,’ Majdal Shams Mayor Tells TML in Exclusive Interview

‘Proud Israeli’ Mayor Dolan Abu Saleh: 'I love to be part of society in the State of Israel … we want this feeling to be mutual and not one-sided'

Israelis across the country were shocked last week by news of the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime and of the Israeli military occupation of certain areas of Syria. This development reverberated strongly in Majdal Shams, a Druze town on the Golan Heights that has been under Israeli control since 1967. President of The Media Line Felice Friedson sat down with Majdal Shams Mayor Dolan Abu Saleh for an exclusive interview about how Israel’s Druze population is reacting to these events.

Majdal Shams is considered the unofficial Druze capital of the Golan Heights and is home to nearly 12,000 residents, all of whom are Druze. Druze people make up the majority of the 24,000 Arabs living throughout the Golan. An additional 100,000 or so Israeli Druze live outside of the Golan in northern Israel and around Haifa. The town’s ties to Syria run deep. For many families, there are relatives on the other side of the border, creating a complex set of loyalties and concerns.

Abu Saleh, now in his fourth term as mayor, spoke at length about the dramatic changes in Syria and their impact on the Druze community. “For every family here, there’s family on the other side,” he said, stressing the deeply personal nature of these political shifts. He described the fall of Assad as a transformative event, noting, “The people here are very, very happy that the dictator, the murderer of the people, is no longer in power. They hope there will be a new Syria of peace, humanity, and human rights.”

Concerns heightened in Majdal Shams after the terrorist atrocities of October 7, 2023. “Until October 7, the civil war in Syria did not pose a significant threat to residents of the Golan,” Abu Saleh said. After that date, people worried about possible infiltration from Syria. “Hezbollah operated freely in Syria under Assad,” he noted, explaining why residents feared that violence could spill over the border. “All this time, we saw cooperation between Hezbollah and Assad,” he said.

The fall of Assad also brought the Druze community’s historical questions of loyalty and identity into sharper focus. When Israel occupied the Golan Heights in 1967 and annexed the territory in 1981, it offered Druze residents Israeli citizenship, but many continued to identify as Syrian. Today, Druze in the Golan remains eligible for Israeli citizenship, and the number of applicants has grown in recent years. Data from 2022 show that around 20% of Majdal Shams residents hold Israeli citizenship, while the rest have permanent residency without citizenship. Abu Saleh described himself as “a proud Israeli citizen,” explaining that Israel provides security and a high standard of human rights.

“I love this place very much. I love to be part of society in the State of Israel,” he added. “Both personally and as a community, we want to feel an indivisible part of the State of Israel, not only in name, but also through receiving budgets and sharing resources from the state, and that this feeling will be mutual and not one-sided.”

Before discussing the broader historical context, Abu Saleh outlined his personal and political journey. He has served two terms as an appointed council head before being elected in Majdal Shams’ first and subsequent elections, now totaling four terms in office. He explained that the local council is administered under the Israeli Interior Ministry and that the town receives funding from Israeli government offices, just like any other local authority in Israel.

Majdal Shams drew wider attention in July 2024 when a Hezbollah rocket attack killed 12 children in the town. Abu Saleh called it “a great human tragedy,” adding that some of those wounded remained hospitalized for months. The community received substantial philanthropic support from Israeli organizations and from the Jewish community abroad. “Many philanthropic actors came and embraced the families,” he said. This sympathy and support contributed to the sense that the Druze of Majdal Shams are integral to Israel’s fabric, not simply because of geography, but because of shared values and security concerns.

Regarding current security measures, Abu Saleh said the town works closely with local Israeli military divisions and the military’s Home Front Command, sometimes going beyond the official guidelines. Only about 60% of homes in Majdal Shams have bomb shelters, and the municipality is aware that more must be done to protect residents. He praised Israel’s decision to enter Syria to create a buffer zone, calling it “a wise and correct step” to protect Israeli citizens before threats cross into the country.

Israel’s actions in Syria have drawn criticism from countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt, but Abu Saleh defended the move. “The State of Israel needs to create a barrier that will protect its residents and citizens,” he said. “If the State of Israel is threatened in the future, it can manage the war outside its borders. That means that before its residents and citizens are harmed, it will be there to protect them.”

Before the outbreak of Syria’s civil war, Druze students from the Golan often attended Damascus University. Abu Saleh acknowledged that it was a positive experience for many at the time, but today, he favors Israeli academia. He believes that Golan Druze who complete their studies in Israel, have an easier time joining the Israeli labor market. Residents of Majdal Shams now work in fields such as medicine, engineering, construction, high-tech, and civil service, and most families also engage in agriculture.

He emphasized that women in Majdal Shams play an active role, holding many central positions in local government and making up at least half of those working in professional fields. Abu Saleh’s eldest daughter is preparing for an academic career, and his wife runs the family business. He called for more factories and high-tech firms to set up locally, creating opportunities for women who prefer to work close to home.

Regarding Syria’s future under the de facto leadership of Abu Mohammad al-Golani, some Druze are worried, but Abu Saleh sees reasons for optimism. He noted that new authorities released prisoners and preserved government institutions, which may indicate a focus on human well-being. Still, he stressed the importance of ensuring that minority groups, like the Kurds, are not harmed and called for international dialogue with Turkey’s president to address concerns over Kurdish safety.

Reflecting on his responsibilities as mayor during these tumultuous times, Abu Saleh acknowledged that the job is a great challenge. “The whole world looks at how a leader acts in such a situation,” he said. “We will continue to protect our residents and the State of Israel, which protects us, and work toward a future where everyone can thrive.”

To mark the fall of the Assad regime, some residents of Majdal Shams raised the flag of the Syrian opposition last week.

“Seeing the Syrian flag fly in Majdal Shams instead of the flag of the Syrian regime is very different and very significant,” Abu Saleh said. “But we, as a local authority that is under Israeli sovereignty, want to see here in the state of Israel the flag of the state of Israel because the state of Israel is the one that gives us security.” 

“I think that we all hope for a situation in which Syria will receive the flag of Israel in Damascus. Until then, we will think about cooperating in raising the flags in a friendly manner.”

Giorgia Valente contributed to this story.

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Associated Transcript: 

Felice Friedson spoke with the mayor in an exclusive interview about the community, the recent fall of President Bashar Assad, and the mayor’s take on events around October 7, 2023, and Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah.

TML: Mayor Abu Saleh, thank you for this exclusive interview with The Media Line. 

Dolan Abu Saleh: Dolan Abu Saleh.

TML: How do the residents of Majdal Shams feel about what is happening in Syria?

Dolan Abu Saleh: It’s a very big surprise because they had gotten used to the fact that no one could topple Assad and that he would stay in power forever. So, for them, it’s a very significant event. The fall of Assad is a dramatic influence, in a positive sense, on the Syrian people—and not only that, also on the residents here. Because for every family here, there’s a family on the other side. 

The people here are very happy that the dictator, the genocidaire, is no longer in power, and they hope that there will be a new Syria, a secure Syria, a Syria of peace, of humanity, of human rights. That’s what people here want to see in Syria.

TML: How many people live here? Is the town all Druze?

Dolan Abu Saleh: In Majdal Shams, there are nearly 12,000 residents, all of whom are Druze. Similarly, in other Druze settlements in the Golan, the vast majority of the residents are Druze. Altogether, there are 24,000 Druze in the Golan, almost 12,000 of whom are in Majdal Shams.

TML: You are the leader of the people here. Were you appointed? In most Israeli towns and cities, there are elections. How does it work here?

Dolan Abu Saleh: We are a council, the regulator of which is the Israeli Interior Ministry. This means that we are a council under Israeli sovereignty, and we work with government offices in the state of Israel, like any other council. We also receive funding from Israeli government offices. 

I served two terms here that were conducted through a council head appointment rather than elections. It’s an official process where the Interior Ministry announces that it wants members of the committee, the candidates are interviewed, and the members of the committee choose the head of the committee. I did that for two terms, and I ran in Majdal Shams’ first election and again in the second election. I am now in my fourth term as council head.

TML: What did you study? Where did you go to university?

Dolan Abu Saleh: I have a bachelor’s degree in human services and multidisciplinary studies from Tel-Hai Academic College. I also have a diploma for local government jurisprudence, and I also have a certificate for everything relating to economics in local government. Of course, I also have military training as a county commander, which means that the head of the locality is given tools to manage militarily during times of emergency. 

TML: We’re in a difficult time. There have been fears that fighters would come across the border from Syria. There have been rocket attacks. But mostly, this has been a quiet, peaceful place. How has that been accomplished?

Dolan Abu Saleh: It really depends on if we’re talking about before October 7 or after October 7. For many years before October 7, although the civil war in Syria obviously did affect the residents here, we, as a locality within the State of Israel, did not experience a significant threat from the Syrian side, because the war was within Syria, between the citizens. 

On the Black Sabbath, as soon as the terrorists carried out the atrocities of October 7, there was great concern among the residents that there would also be infiltration from the Syrian side. That was because in Syria, the Hezbollah terrorist organization operated freely, because it received cover and support from Assad. All this time, we witnessed the cooperation between Hezbollah and Assad. 

TML: There are no diplomatic relations between Israel and Syria. Is it possible for you, because you are Druze, to pick up the phone and speak to people on the other side of the border?

Dolan Abu Saleh: It is possible, because families speak to each other. Any person who lives in the state of Israel who has family members over there, can speak to them on the phone—not from a diplomatic side, but out of the strength of the proximity, out of the desire to help. 

Even before the outbreak of the war in Syria, and during the war in Syria, and now, after the fall of Assad, families have always economically helped their family members on the other side. Because there is nothing to compare between the standard of living in the state of Israel and the standard of living in Syria, especially in everything related to human rights.

TML: This is a difficult question to ask, but are you Israelis? Are you Syrians? How do you view this country?

Dolan Abu Saleh: I am a proud Israeli citizen. 

We live in a country that gives us significant security. We felt this even before the outbreak of the war in Syria. We felt this even during the intense war in Syria. We heard all the explosions of the war. There was an intense period of fighting between the rebels and Bashar Assad’s regime. And the whole time, we experienced the complete protection of the IDF and the security services, and we cannot ignore this.

This feeds my sense, and that of many others who do feel that they are Israelis, because security isn’t to be taken for granted. Security requires a lot of effort, and that’s what the state of Israel gives to the residents here.

TML: Some here volunteer to serve in the Israeli military, and some don’t. Is there public discussion about this issue?

Dolan Abu Saleh: It’s a free choice. There are those who chose to go to the army, to serve the state of Israel and its residents and citizens, who see this as the path through which they want to develop themselves. And there are those who still aren’t there. There hasn’t been a decision to enlist the Druze communities in the Golan to the IDF. 

There are processes of national service—we have young people here who do meaningful national service, which is very positive for the community. I think this is an excellent step. I do think that our young people need to play a central role in fulfilling their rights and their obligations to the state of Israel.

TML: We’re now a few months after the terrible rocket attack on Majdal Shams that killed 12 children here. Has that tragic event made the residents feel more a part of Israel?

Dolan Abu Saleh: Such a brutal event is a great human tragedy. There is no doubt that it will affect the residents here, starting with the families who were directly injured, who lost their loved ones in this terrible tragedy. There are also families whose injured loved ones are still hospitalized undergoing rehabilitation. There is no doubt that this terrible tragedy will affect those families, but the circle of influence is wider.

The community here has received a significant embrace from all parts of the country, especially the Jewish community. I’d also like to emphasize philanthropy from abroad, especially from the US. Many philanthropic actors came here and embraced the families, and the families were moved to tears. 

There is no doubt that all these processes will affect how Druze communities in the Golan Heights address the question of connection to the state of Israel. 

TML: Are you proud of how the situation has put a national focus on the Druze community?

Dolan Abu Saleh: I would really like to be prominent not in a disaster situation. I would like to be prominent in showing the beauty of our region. We have a very beautiful region.

But there is no doubt that the event put Majdal Shams in the headlines. It is not easy at all to be the local council head of a place that had such a terrible disaster, especially because I know almost all the children who were injured.

As a local council, we are trying to be as strong as we can so that the families feel there is a backbone maintaining community resilience. We put an emphasis on the emotional side for families who were injured in this terrible disaster.

TML: Are there enough bomb shelters here?

Dolan Abu Saleh: It is a sad fact that 60% of the population living in Majdal Shams does not have a bomb shelter, while 40% have a shelter in their homes.

On the other hand, over 90% of public institutions such as schools and gyms have a shelter. But in the residential area, we don’t have enough. We only have 60%.

TML: Have the day-to-day security regulations changed because of the situation?

Dolan Abu Saleh: Without a doubt. We’re in touch with the Home Front Command and receive their guidelines. We also have very significant ongoing cooperation with the military units here in the area. 

Sometimes, after we receive all the military guidelines, we choose to reinforce the orders. Because we went through a difficult disaster, it taught us that we need to be stricter in the guidelines and not to take any risks at all. 

We saw this in particular with educational institutions. When there were instructions to open the educational institutions, Majdal Shams was in no rush to return students to their classrooms. We examined in depth what the threat to Majdal Shams might be, and then we acted. 

TML: Countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt have said they don’t understand why Israeli forces have crossed the border and entered the buffer zone. What do you think about this?

Dolan Abu Saleh: I think this step is significant, necessary, and imperative for the state of Israel. The state of Israel needs to create a barrier that will protect its residents and citizens. From security assessments regarding the October 7 terrorist attack as well as what is happening now in southern Lebanon, there’s no doubt that this is a significant, wise, and correct step. 

If the state of Israel is threatened in the future, it can manage the war outside of its borders. That means that before its residents and citizens are harmed, it will be there to protect them. 

TML: Do you think it will be possible to return to a situation of better relations between Israel and Syria, when Druze students could study in universities and go to medical school there? We haven’t seen that in many years.

Dolan Abu Saleh: There’s no doubt that Damascus University had a very positive impact on higher education in the Druze settlements in the Golan. But it wasn’t only Syrian higher education, it was also Israeli higher education. They also studied in Israel—we have many graduates from Israel and graduates from Syria. 

I always direct toward Israeli higher education, because there is no doubt that adults in the state of Israel who have completed their academic studies in the state of Israel will have an easier time integrating into the labor market in the state of Israel. 

TML: What are the main professions that people work in here?

Dolan Abu Saleh: First of all, every family is involved in agriculture, whether it’s one dunam or ten dunams. Our agricultural culture is very strong, even though we don’t rely on agriculture economically. 

There are many doctors here, there are many engineers here, there are many people here who work in construction. We have a very strong population in the field of academia.

We have a very wide range of professions. Just in the last decade, there’s been an emphasis on high-tech. There are many high-tech workers here, both male and female. That’s important here. This place puts an emphasis on the role of women in society. Everything in higher education and the professions is 50% women, even more. Here in the local government, too, there are many central roles for women. When you have this balance, there is no doubt that it will strengthen the population and contribute to its resilience.

TML: What is missing in Majdal Shams?

Dolan Abu Saleh: There’s a lack of workplaces close by. Driving isn’t a problem, but since Majdal Shams has such a large industrial area relative to being a peripheral settlement, we need to bring in high-tech industries and factories so that there’s local employment, especially for women who aren’t comfortable with a long distance to a workplace. 

TML: Do you think you are the ones who are guarding the border here?

Dolan Abu Saleh: Of course. Everyone who has stayed in their house and made sure that in this area there is life, and light, and activity, is directly contributing to the resilience and the security of the state.

TML: Do you go out from time to time to Jerusalem?

Dolan Abu Saleh: Of course. It’s the nature of our work. We do a lot of Zooms, especially after the coronavirus, but there are central issues for which budgets won’t be provided if we don’t travel to Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. Sometimes there is a need for the session to be frontal in the specific government office.

TML: Tell me a little about your life, your family and children.

Dolan Abu Saleh: I am married with four children. That’s larger than the average family in Majdal Shams. I have three daughters and a son.

My eldest daughter is nearly 21 years old. She’s planning her academic career. My wife is a businesswoman. She has a family business. 

I love this place very much. I love integrating into society, into the state. Both personally and as a community, we want to feel like an indivisible part of the State of Israel, in the fullest sense of the word—not only through statements, but also through budgets and resources—and that this feeling will be mutual and not one-sided.

TML: Much of the world doesn’t understand who the Druze are. Can you explain what they don’t understand?

Dolan Abu Saleh: The Druze are a relatively small community. They are loyal to the ruler they are under. But that’s not always the case.

For example, at the beginning of the civil war in Syria, the Druze were loyal to the Assad regime, until they realized that he had crossed red lines in everything related to human dignity. We saw many people leave Assad’s army, and today the Druze have a very central role in the rebellion against the regime, especially in the area of Suwayda, in the area of Jabal al-Druze. They have a very central role in how the new Syria will look. 

They struck a balance so that the Druze would not be harmed, that the rebels would not harm the Druze. So there, the Druze rebelled. But in Israel, the Druze are very loyal to Israel, because Israel gives them security, gives them human rights to a very high degree.

TML: What do you think of Abu Mohammad al-Golani, the leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)?

Dolan Abu Saleh: His youth, the beginning of his journey, is something we should think about. But after he saw Israel’s impressive response to the terrorist network, from Hassan Nasrallah to the last of his commanders, that taught him something and indicated to him that he needed to think up a new path. 

He did start to think of a new path, and I think that this is a process of evolution. There’s no doubt that there is a very central role here for the United States in this regard. And the fact that the president-elect knows how to do business will translate to more practical levels, setting aside my personal opinion of Donald Trump. An international guarantee can keep a hold on al-Golani’s behavior in Syria. 

TML: Are there also those who are worried that in a short time, he could also change.

Dolan Abu Saleh: There are those who are worried. There are those who feel this won’t last. I want to focus on positivity and peace.

That the prisoners were released from all the prisons there is a step that reveals a significant emphasis on the human dimension. Another important step is that they maintained the organizational structures of the government institutions. Everything that serves the residents, they maintained. They want business to continue and function. This says a lot.

TML: And what about the Kurds?

Dolan Abu Saleh: In my opinion, we need to have a very direct and firm dialogue with the president of Turkey, who constantly opposes them. Here, too, there is an urgent need for international involvement, in order to moderate the steps that Turkey is constantly taking against the Kurds. This is also a test, especially for countries like Israel and the United States.

TML: Are there times when you feel like you’re on the front lines facing Syria, and that the defense of Israel is all up to you?

Dolan Abu Saleh: It’s a great challenge, and yes, there is a very heavy responsibility here. I have been in this position for many years. I have significant experience here, but there is no doubt that leaders do not come to work in order to look good but in order to do good.

Yes, I sometimes felt that the whole world looks at how a leader functions in such a situation. We feel that we are doing the work as well as possible. We will continue to do this, and we will continue to strengthen our presence on the ground here. We’ll continue to protect our residents as well as the state of Israel, which protects us. 

TML: The flags that we saw at the protests of President Assad; the Druze here raised the flags for Assad. Now, it will be something else. What will it be?

Dolan Abu Saleh: First of all, to see the Syrian flag free in Majd al-Shans instead of the flag of the regime in Syria, the flag of Syria then, it is very different and it is very significant. (2:08:16) But we, as a local authority that is under Israeli control, we want to see here, in the State of Israel, the flag of the State of Israel, because the State of Israel is the one that gives us security. I think that we will all hope for a situation in which Syria will receive the flag of Israel in Damascus.

Until then, we will think about cooperating in raising the flags in a friendly manner.

TML: It was a pleasure speaking with you at The Media Line.