Had Nes

2010-07-03

Updated: 2012-01-24

A visit to the Israeli settlement of Had Nes, in the Golan Heights. This, unlike Ahuzat Barak, is what is commonly known as an Israeli settlement. As Syria has never acknowledged Israel's existence, preferring to call it "the Zionist regime", there is no border that one can use as an origin for measuring just how far into Syrian land Had Nes is situated. But there are a number of cease-fire lines that can be used - and if we go by the westernmost and oldest one, Had Nes is approximately two kilometers into Syria.

The land here is sold at below market rate to prospective settlers. For example, a plot of land bought for $30,000 can be sold for $70,000 at market rate. Of course, to avoid having tons of people come here and just flip parcels of land, there are rules regulating what you must do with the land once you've bought it; such as build a house and have intent to settle there. Otherwise you will suffer financial death by taxes.

My "big take" on the settlement activity here is that there seems to be little in the way of the "armed, self sufficient nutter" kind of person. What you find here are those who want a big, nice house, but can't afford to buy or build it in another area - closer to Tel Aviv or the sea, for example. The economy is definitely an upside, as the nice homes seen below can attest to; as is the beautiful view of the Sea of Galilee. The downside of living here comes from the comparatively rural setting and the history of the land, making it an acquired taste. Without putting to fine a point on it, you're living a short drive past the end of the world, surrounded by fences, Syrian minefields and angry Arabs.