Key facts
- An Israeli settler group, Halutzei HaBashan, is pushing for Jewish settlements in southern Syria.
- The group crossed into Syrian territory near Majdal Shams in mid-May.
- The movement views southern Syria as part of the ancestral Jewish homeland.
- Israeli ministers and parliament members have publicly supported the group's expansionist aims.
- The movement has called for the expulsion of local Sunni and Shia populations from the Bashan region.
- The group was honored in the Israeli Knesset, with a certificate signed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
A group of Israeli settler activists, organized by Halutzei HaBashan (Pioneers of Bashan), gathered along the fence separating the occupied Golan Heights from southern Syria in mid-May, with at least ten crossing into Syrian territory. This act is part of a broader movement demanding Israel authorize Jewish settlements beyond the 1974 ceasefire line in what they consider the biblical region of Bashan.
Halutzei HaBashan, founded in April 2025, views southern Syria not as foreign territory but as part of the ancestral Jewish homeland, aligning with the 'Greater Israel' project which posits undefined borders for the state. The movement has evolved from a fringe group to one with public support from Israeli ministers and members of parliament. They have stated their intention to continue their efforts until the government permits organized settlement in Bashan.
Journalist Murad Mohammed al-Hamwi described the members as experienced settlers, many from the West Bank and occupied Golan, aiming to establish permanent settlements. The group's public ideology has included explicit calls for ethnic cleansing of the local Sunni and Shia populations in the Bashan area. Amos Azaria, a leading figure, advocates for permanent civilian settlement in southern Syria, viewing it as both a strategic buffer and a biblical inheritance. He is also involved with Uri Tzafon, a movement campaigning for settlement in southern Lebanon.
Jonathan Levy argues that civilian settlement is the 'only true deterrent' against a 'new Syrian threat' following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad government. The movement draws support from religious-nationalist communities and has cultivated ties with other settlement organizations like Nachala. Azaria has called for a deeper occupation extending into the Syrian south, aiming to force the Israeli government to accept these settlements.
Symbolic of growing state endorsement, the movement and its founder Azaria were honored in the Israeli Knesset in early 2026. Certificates of appreciation were signed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli has also publicly supported the movement, stating, 'This is our land, and returning to Bashan is essential.' Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi has also been approached to facilitate infrastructure for these outposts.