Majdal Shams

Majdal Shams (Arabic: مجدل شمس; Hebrew: מַגְ'דַל שַׁמְס) is a town in the Golan Heights, located in the southern foothills of Mount Hermon. Known as the informal "capital" of the region, the town's residents are almost entirely Druze. Since the 1967 Arab–Israeli War, Majdal Shams has been controlled by Israel, although the international community recognizes it (along with the rest of the Golan Heights) as part of Syria. It was initially administered under the Israeli Military Governorate, but was incorporated into Israel's system of local councils after the Knesset ratified the Golan Heights Law in 1981, effectively annexing the territory in a move that has been officially recognized only by the United States, which did so by through a March 2019 presidential proclamation.

Of the four remaining Syrian Druze communities in the Israeli-occupied territories (on Israel's side of Mount Hermon and the Golan Heights), Majdal Shams is the largest, together with Ein Qiniyye, Mas'ade, and Buq'ata. Although they are administratively lumped together, a distinction is made between the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon geologically and geographically, with their boundary being marked by the Sa'ar Stream. Majdal Shams and Ein Qiniyye are on the boundary's Hermon side, and thus sitting on limestone, while Buq'ata and Mas'ade are on the boundary's Golan side, which is characterized by black volcanic rock (i.e., basalt).