Israeli Families Cross Into Syria to Found “Neve HaBashan” Outpost, Returned by IDF
Group held cornerstone ceremony for new settlement on Syrian territory, calling on the government to “expel the enemy” and allow Jews to reclaim the Bashan region
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A group of Israeli families crossed the border fence from the Golan Heights into Syrian territory on Monday and declared the founding of a new settlement, which they named “Neve HaBashan.” The activists, who call themselves the “Pioneers of the Bashan,” held a cornerstone-laying ceremony northeast of the community of Alonei HaBashan, planting flowers in memory of fallen IDF soldier Yehuda Dror Yahalom, who was killed in southern Lebanon.
The group proclaimed that the Bashan region, an ancient term referring to parts of today’s southern Syria, is “the inheritance of our forefathers” and called on the Israeli government “to expel the enemy from all the Bashan territories and allow pioneers to settle them.”
Videos and photos shared online show families, teenagers, and children participating in the event. Activists emphasized that the initiative was grassroots and carried out without military or government support, though they expressed hope for eventual recognition.
The IDF confirmed the incident, stating:
“Earlier today, several vehicles carrying Israeli civilians crossed the border fence into Syrian territory. IDF forces at the site quickly returned them safely to Israel. The suspects were detained and summoned for police investigation. This was a serious violation of the law that endangers both the public and IDF forces.”
The attempted settlement comes just months after a similar incident in February, when 20 Israelis illegally crossed into Lebanese territory near the border to visit a gravesite and were detained.
The “Neve HaBashan” activists insist the new outpost is named after an ancient Jewish city mentioned in Midrash Tanchuma and say it represents “one step on the way to return to the Bashan.”