Why are the Golan Heights so important to Israel?
Jeremy HowellAhad, BBC World ServiceDecember,12,2024.
Pros and Cons of Israeli Control:
Pros:
1. Enhanced Security:
- Control over the heights prevents Syrian artillery from targeting Israeli cities.
2. Economic Benefits:
- Boosts agriculture, tourism, and access to vital water sources.
3. National Defense:
- Acts as a protective barrier in potential conflicts.
4. Stability for Northern Israel:
- Settlements and infrastructure development contribute to regional stability
Cons:
1. International Condemnation:
- Most countries view Israeli control as a violation of international law.
2. Conflict with Syria:
- Continues to be a flashpoint in Israeli-Syrian relations, complicating peace efforts.
3. Resource Management Challenges:
- Water resources are a contentious issue, particularly in negotiations.
4. Increased Military Costs:
- Maintaining security in the region requires significant military investment.
The Israeli army has seized several key positions on the Syrian border, including a demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has ordered the Israel Defense Forces to enter the buffer zone and other “nearby commanding positions” in the Golan Heights.
He said the move was a temporary measure taken by Israel to protect Israel from rebel attacks after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria.
Several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, have condemned such Israeli moves.
Where are the Golan Heights and who controls them?
The Golan Heights extend from southwestern Syria to northeastern Israel and are currently occupied by the Israeli military.
During the 1967 Six-Day War, Syrian forces attacked Israel from the Golan Heights, but Israel retaliated, repelling the attack and capturing approximately 1,200 square kilometers of the area.
Syria attempted to regain control of the Golan Heights during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, but failed.
Later, in 1974, Syria and Israel signed a ceasefire agreement under which the two countries’ forces were required to withdraw from both sides of the 80-kilometer-long border strip of the Golan and the area was declared an ‘Area of Deterrence’ and since then, a UN unit called the ‘Disengagement Observer Force’ has been present there to monitor compliance with the agreement.
However, in violation of the agreement, in 1981, Israel took control of its side of the Golan Heights and Jewish settlers began building houses there.
Israel’s sovereignty over the area was not recognized internationally, but in 2019, the administration of then US President Donald Trump abandoned previous US policy in this regard and recognized Israel’s right to the area.
Syria’s position is that it will not sign any future peace agreement with Israel until it withdraws from the entire Golan region.
In November 2024, Syria and the United Nations complained that Israel was digging trenches near the buffer zone and in some places inside it.
Why are the Golan Heights so important to Israel?
From the Golan Heights, Israel can monitor not only Damascus but also other areas of Syria.
When Syria controlled the Golan Heights, it regularly used artillery to shell all of northern Israel from 1948 to 1967.
The Syrian capital, Damascus, is located about 60 kilometers north of these hills, and most of southern Syria, including Damascus, is clearly visible from the height of these hills. Due to this geography, this location provides Israel with an excellent position to monitor the movements of the Syrian army.
Control of these hills provides Israel with a natural buffer against any possible military attack by Syria (as occurred during the 1973 war).
On the other hand, the Golan Heights are also an important source of water supply in this region, which consists mostly of arid land.
Rainwater flowing down from the heights of these mountains enters the Jordan River, making the land around the river so fertile that vineyards and other fruit orchards flourish here, while the land also provides pasture for livestock.
In the past, the biggest obstacle to any peace agreement between Syria and Israel has been Syria's demand that Israel return to the pre-1967 positions and completely evacuate the occupied territory.
However, if this were to happen, Syria would gain control of the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee and would lose a vital source of fresh water. Israel says the border between the two countries should be further east so as not to deprive it of vital resources and resources in the region.
Public opinion in Israel is that Israel should retain control of the Golan Heights because people believe that it is strategically important not to give it back.
Who lives in the Golan Heights?
The Syrians who had been living there had fled since Israel captured the Golan Heights in 1967.
The Golan Heights is now home to more than 30 Israeli settlements, with an estimated 20,000 people. The Israelis began building settlements in the area shortly after the 1967 conflict.
The settlements are considered illegal under international law, but Israel disputes this.
The Jewish settlers live alongside an estimated 20,000 Syrians, most of whom are Druze, who did not leave the Golan during the Israeli occupation.
Syria says that this land (the Golan Heights) has always belonged to it and has repeatedly expressed its determination to take back the area, while Israel says that the Golan Heights are very important for Israel's defense and their control will always be in its hands.
What actions has Israel taken in the Golan Heights in recent days?
Israeli tanks in the Syrian town of Quneitra near the Golan Heights
The Syrian army withdrew from the area as rebel forces advanced on Damascus and Bashar al-Assad's rule was waning, and at that time the Israeli Defense Forces took control of the demilitarized buffer zone on the Golan Heights.
The Israeli military also admits that it is present in areas outside the demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights, but says it has not gone far.
Netanyahu said his forces were “taking a temporary defensive position and this temporary arrangement is for the time being until a proper arrangement is made.”
He said Israel wanted to have peaceful and neighborly relations with the new forces emerging in Syria, “but if they do not do so, we will do whatever it takes to defend the state of Israel and Israel’s borders.”
Reports from Syria claimed that Israel had advanced beyond the Golan Heights and reached within 25 kilometers of Damascus, but Israeli military sources denied this and said that the army had advanced beyond the buffer zone, but not to that extent.
Several Arab countries have strongly condemned Israel’s recent actions in Syria. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry called it “an occupation of Syrian territory and a clear violation of the 1974 agreement.”
Netanyahu said he had taken the steps to secure Israel's borders because the 1974 agreement was "not in effect" after rebel groups took control of Syria.
Professor Gilbert Achkar says Israel's position on the matter is that it "wants to prevent any attack from Syria, such as the Hamas attack on October 7."
Many analysts are skeptical about Israel's justification for the move.
Professor Yossi Meckleberg of Chatham House, a London-based international think tank, says that “Syria has never said it will not abide by the agreement, although this is a preemptive move by Israel to ensure its security, but there is no justification for any military action in the demilitarized buffer zone.”
Dr H.A. Hellyer of the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank, says that the chances of Syrian rebel groups wresting the Golan Heights from Israel in the near future are extremely low.
According to him, Syrian rebel groups “will be so busy with internal affairs that there will be no time to think about creating a new conflict with Israel.”
Professor Meckleberg says that Israel’s presence in Syrian territories will damage Israel’s relations with future governments in Syria.
"Israel is trying to deal with the worst-case scenario as a precautionary measure, but it may all prove futile. This is not the way to maintain friendly relations with the new government."
Related Topics
#Syria #Israel
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