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Majdal Shams is the largest of the four Druze villages in the Golan. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, as of September 2005 Majdal Shams's population was 8,800. The population growth rate is 2.5%. The ratio between men and women is 951 for every 1000 men.The village is politically and spiritually governed by the Abu-Salah and Safdie families. The inhabitants of Majdal Shams hold Syrian citizenship. For this reason they are not drafted into the Israeli army (although a minority serve voluntarily) and many travel to Syria regularly to visit family or receive university degrees in Damascus. A year after Israel annexed the Golan, a six-month non-violent general strike was launched on April 14, 1982, in which Majdal Shams played a notable role. One kilometer east of the town center, on the other side of the valley, is the Shouting Hill (Hebrew גבעת צעקות), where Majdal Shams' Druze line up with bullhorns to make small-talk with relatives on the Syrian side. The busiest time seems to be Friday and Saturday afternoons. The Arabic name Majdal Shams is adapted from an Aramaic language name meaning "tower of the sun". |
