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GOLAN HEIGHTS |
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GOLAN HEIGHTS |
The Golan Heights extends like a 15 x 32 mile finger between the borders of Lebanon, Jordan and Syria in the northeastern section of Israel. Israel's highest mountain, snow-capped Mt. Hermon (7,296 ft.), is located to the north of the 444 square mile plateau. The plateau was once actively volcanic and the northernmost points remain weathered and desolate. When held by Israeli forces, the highland has little military importance. If controlled by a hostile country, however, the Golan would be a strategic nightmare for Israel.
The Golan Heights rise from 400 to 1700 feet overlooking the Hula Valley, Israel's richest agricultural area, only about 60 unobstructed miles from Haifa and Acre, Israel's industrial heartland. The Golan falls within the Biblical boundaries of the Land of Israel (biblical Bashan), and was always part of the Jewish homeland. The uprising against the Roman Empire featured the battle of Gamla on the Golan Heights in 67 CE, three years before the fall of Jerusalem (70 CE). Over 9000 Jewish citizens were killed in a Madada-like encounter.
Syria, a province in the Ottoman Empire until World War I, did not have well defined borders in the area. In 1923, as part of difficult negotiations between England and France, the northern border between Syria and then British-controlled Palestine was established, and the Golan Heights were arbitrarily allocated to Syria, including some of the most fascinating and significant Christian sites in the Holy Land.
Long before the State of Israel was established in 1948, the Syrians turned the Golan Heights into a military fortress and conducted near-constant, daily routine shelling of northern Jewish villages. In Israel's 1948 War of Independence, Syria overran the eastern Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) border areas and occupied them until 1967, when Israel regained them along with the rest of the Golan Heights. In the Six Day War of June, 1967 Syria attacked Israel and was defeated. Israel captured the Golan Heights during the fighting, held them after the truce, and extended Israeli law to the area.
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Photo © Jack Hazut |
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View from Golan Heights |
The strategic value of the Golan Heights to Israel cannot be overstated. As with the mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), the visual and radar stations located there give advance warning of any approach from Syria. Any attacking ground force would be effectively blocked by having to cross the Golan Heights. Conversely, if held by an enemy as in the past, it puts northern Israel directly under their guns.
Furthermore, about one third of Israel's fresh water supply originates there, in the watershed of Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) and must be protected. In 1964, Syria, then occupying the Golan Heights, tried to divert these critical headwaters away from Israel in a blatant attempt to cripple Israel's fresh-water supply. The IDF destroyed the Syrian damming project.
The area of the Shaaba Farms, adjacent to the Golan Heights, has become a hot-spot of attacks from Lebanon, as Syrian-backed Hezbollah forces keep pressure on Israel. Syria supports Lebanon's claim to Shebaa Farms, although Israel, which maintains a troop presence there, says it is part of the Golan Heights seized from Syria in 1967. Apparently Syria is using the Hezbollah as a proxy force to engage Israel militarily, which Syria has been unwilling to do directly. In addition to its strong influence inside Lebanon and with the Hezbollah, Syria allegedly provides transit for Hezbollah guerrillas and for weapons from Iran directed to Hezbollah and Palestinian Arab forces. Israel has attacked Syrian installations in response to Hezbollah actions to demonstrate that Israel understands the linkage.
About 17,000 Israeli citizens live on the Golan Heights in settlements established after Israel regained control of the area in 1967. On again-off again peace talks with Syria have not yielded any results.
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