Ein Qiniyye or 'Ayn Qunya (Arabic: عين قنية; Hebrew: עֵין קֻנִיֶּה) is a Druze[2] village in the Israeli-occupied southern foothills of Mount Hermon, 750 meters above sea level. It was granted local council status in 1982. Its inhabitants are mostly Syrian citizens with permanent residency status in Israel (for more about the status and position of the Golan Heights Druze community see here). In 2022 it had a population of 2,190.[2]
Ein Qiniya
عين قنية עין קנייא | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Ein Qiniyye | |
  Ein Qiniya Golan Heights on the map of Syria. Ein Qiniyye on the map of the Golan Heights.  Ein Qiniya Ein Qiniya (Syria) | |
| Coordinates: 33°14′13″N 35°43′51″E / 33.23694°N 35.73083°E | |
| Country | Golan Heights, internationally recognized as Syrian territory occupied by Israel. See Status of the Golan Heights. |
| Israeli District | Northern District |
| Israeli Subdistrict | Golan Subdistrict |
| Syrian Governorate | Quneitra Governorate |
| Syrian District | Quneitra District |
| Syrian Subdistrict | Mas'ade Subdistrict |
| Population (2022) | 2,190[1] |
History
Ein Qiniyye is one of the four remaining Druze-Syrian communities on the Israeli-occupied side of Mount Hermon and the Golan Heights, together with Majdal Shams, Mas'ade and Buq'ata. Geographically a distinction is made between the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon, the boundary being marked by the Sa'ar Stream; however, administratively usually they are lumped together. Ein Qiniyye and Majdal Shams are on the Hermon side of the boundary, thus sitting on limestone, while Buq'ata and Mas'ade are on the Golan side, characterised by black volcanic rock (basalt).[2]
Since the adoption of the 1981 Golan Heights Law, Ein Qiniyye is under Israeli civil law, and incorporated into the Israeli system of local councils. Some of the young people of the village used to study at Syrian universities, but at the end of 2012 a Druze cleric advised them against applying until the Syrian Civil War was over.[3] Most of the town's residents are Druze, but a few Christians remain of a much larger community that left the town in the 1940s and 1950s.[4][5]
Sister city
Great Neck, New York, USA (2022)[6]
References
- ^ "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ a b c "The Druze population in Israel - a collection of data on the occasion of the Prophet Shuaib holiday" (PDF). CBS - Israel. Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 2019-04-17. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
- ^ Syria war drives Druze students away Ynetnews, 2 December 2012
- ^ "Last Christians of Israeli-controlled Golan Heights endure". Arab News. 30 June 2017.
- ^ "Last Christians of Israeli-controlled Golan Heights endure". France24. 30 June 2017.
- ^ Hasten, Josh "Great Neck, NY, signs ‘sister pact’ with Israeli towns" JNS.org Dec. 7, 2022 https://www.jns.org/great-neck-ny-signs-sister-pact-with-israeli-towns/
External links
Media related to Ein Qiniyye at Wikimedia Commons