At-a-glance: The Golan Heights

6 Jun 2011, 4:18 pm   -   Source: SBS
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Israel captured the Golan Heights during the Six Day War in June, 1967. (AAP)

Israel captured the Golan Heights during the Six Day War in June, 1967. (AAP)

The Golan Heights is a region on the border between northern Israel and southwest Syria. It is a flashpoint in the Arab-Israeli dispute.

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The Golan Heights is a region on the border between northern Israel and southern Syria, and is a flashpoint in the Arab-Israeli dispute, with complexities typical of the conflict throughout the region.

It has been occupied and administered by Israel since the 1967 Six Day War, and its return to Syria is a crucial point in Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.

Its position and climate make it of extreme strategic importance. It overlooks northern Israel, and the Sea of Galilee, and is one of the most fertile pockets in the region.  It constituted 0.65 per cent of Syria's territory, and now makes up six per cent of Israel's. 

DRUZE

Unlike the West Bank, few of the Golan's original Syrian inhabitants remain, and those who do are Druze - an ethnic minority that has suffered centuries of persecution by Arab nationalists and Muslims.

It is for this reason that many Druze did not adopt Arab nationalism. Around 10 per cent of Golan Druze accepted Israeli citizenship when it was offered in the late 1970s. 

The remainder still hold Syrian citizenship, though support for President Bashar al-Assad's regime varies from village to village. In April 2011, some held rallies against Assad's violent crackdowns on anti-regime protests, while others held rallies in support of him.

A Lebanese paper quoted a protester who said some Druze believe Israel was behind the protests against Assad. The man, who was protesting in support of the Syrian president, reportedly said the Druze would "rather live under an Arab dictatorship than under an Israeli occupation.”

Analysts said the protesters may have arrived for one of two reasons. Either because Assad was too busy with internal battles to prevent them from approaching the border, or because he encouraged them to do so in order to provoke a bloody showdown with Israel and detract attention from his own violence

POPULATION 

Most estimates put the pre-1967 the population of the entire area between 130,000–145,000 including 17,000 Palestinian refugees registered with UNRWA.

It is estimated that between 80,000 and 130,000 Syrians fled or were driven from the region during the Six Day War.

Around 7,000 remained in six Druze villages: Majdal Shams, Mas'ade, Buq'ata, Ein Qiniyye, Ghajar and Shayta. They are estimated to number 20,000 today.

It is the remaining 10,000 refugees and their descendants who have tried several times to cross the border back into the Golan Heights in protest, and who were met with lethal fire from the IDF in May and June 2011.

The Golan Heights was occupied on June 5, 1967, at the same time as the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

That day is known by many Arabs in the region as the 'Naksa' - or 'setback'. This is not to be confused with the 'Nakba' - or 'catastrophe' - which is how Palestinians refer to Israel's foundation in May, 1948.

THE SIX DAY WAR

A dispute over the lead up to the Six Day War is at the heart of the bitter conflict in the region.

By many Arab accounts, Israel started the war by attacking neighbouring Jordan, Egypt and Syria (the latter two at the time making up the short-lived United Arab Republic) with the aim of gaining territory.

Israeli accounts of the same period cite aggressive statements and actions from the neighbouring states that led Israel to believe it was promptly to be attacked on three fronts, because the Arab states refused to accept a Jewish presence in the Middle East.

In May 1967, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser received reports from the Soviet Union that Israel was massing troops on its border with Syria. The reports later turned out to be false.

Nasser mobilised his forces on the Sinai Peninsula and in Gaza, expelling a UN force that had been acting as a buffer between Israel and Egypt since the 1956 Suez Crisis.

The UN offered to redeploy the force on Israel's side of the border, but Israel rejected the idea. It reiterated a warning to Nasser that closing the Straits of Tiran - the body of water between the Red Sea and the Suez Canal - would be considered an act of war.

STRAITS OF TIRAN

Israel's Indian Ocean seaport of Eilat is reliant on the Straits of Tiran, and their closure in 1956 was what sparked the Suez Crisis.

Nasser closed the Straits again on May 22-23, and the war began. One week later, Jordan and Egypt signed a defence pact, and Jordan invited Iraq to send troops to its border with Israel.

Egypt sent more than 100,000 troops and 950 tanks to the frontier. Jordan sent 55,000 and 350 tanks.

Syria mobilised 75,000 troops along its border with Israel in what is now called the Golan Heights, an extremely advantageous position due to its elevation and proximity to Israel's major water source, the Sea of Galilee. 

DESTROYED AIRCRAFT

As much as a false report had sparked the war, two misleading ones helped to end it.

Egypt left its armed aircraft on the runway after a double agent allegedly supplied it with false intelligence that Israel would begin with a ground offensive.

This allowed Israel - using almost its entire airforce - to completely destroy Egypt's within three hours of war being declared. Pakistan, Libya, Kuwait, Algeria, Morocco and Saudi Arabia sent aircraft and pilots to help the Arab forces rebuild after the devastation of Egypt's war planes.

SYRIAN AGGRESSION

Mistakenly believing Israel had been crushed on its other fronts, Syria launched an intense offensive from the Golan Heights, using the strategic advantage of the plateau to intensively shell Israeli towns and kibbutzim (socialist agrarian communities) in the north.

It also attempted several ground incursions which were beaten back by Israel's troops.

On June 5, Israel's air force destroyed two thirds of Syria's planes, then turned its attention to Syrian ground troops, breaking up reserves and reportedly sinking several tanks in the Jordan River.

SYRIANS FLEE

As Israel's troops captured the Golan Heights, tens of thousands of Syrians and Palestinians fled into Syria, many believing they may suffer at the hands of the Israelis. 

Some Druze communities opted to stay, having suffered at the hands of various Syrian regimes.

At the request of community leaders, Israel defines them as a distinct ethnic group. Around 102,000 Druze live in Israel, not including the 20,000 in the Golan Heights.

ONGOING DEBATE

Returning the Golan Heights to Syria has become a major point in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Israel made an offer to return part of it shortly after the war, but this was rejected by Syria, which was at the time following a policy of 'three nos' adopted at a summit in Khartoum in 1967 by Jordan and Egypt as well.

They were: 'no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiation with Israel concerning any Palestinian territory.'

In 1973, Syria attempted to regain the territory but was beaten back again. In 1981, Israel unilaterally implemented laws essentially annexing the region, that were not recognised by the international community.  

Israeli-palestinian Conflict , Syria

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Oh Come on!!

Bruce Smith - from Armidale, 2 years ago

This rubbish about that the land taken by Israel is really Israel's because they lived there thousands of years ago is pathetic. I think the Europeans who came to Australia over the last 220 should leave according to this argument. I don't think it's going to happen.

Israel = aggressor .. Palestinians = victims

Alan - from Sydney, 2 years ago

Chris - I spent several years in Israel and it disgusted me. I visited all the West Bank/Gazza and border areas of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt. Before going to Israel, many people said you will be pro Israel now but on your return you will be anti Israel - they were absolutely right. Typically, you are outrageously wrong - the constant shelling from Hamas and death comparisons to Syrians is fantasy at its best. Israel's hero army has and continues to commit genocide against Palestinians.

Just a note

Itche - from Israel, 2 years ago

I would also like to reflect to some of reactions that were woken up by some of the comentors like Alan or Perry. People, you are so full of hate that it is fogging out your judgement. And hell NO, I am not any part of any propaganda machine, nor member of any world wide conspiracy. But YES, I'm a descendent of people murdererd in the Holocoast. Idon't beg for your sympathy, just open your eyes to differ between right and wrong, truth and injustice.then tell me more about propaganda machine..

Leave the Jews Alone!!

Rod - from Brisbane, 2 years ago

The Israeli are only returning and taking what was stolen from them in the first place, what gives invaders the God given right to take a country by conquest (1200 years ago)and think they can own it for eternity?? I have visited Israel and the locals told me if they were left alone there would not be a problem, accept it, the Jewish state is here to stay! Get over it!! By the way, I'm not Jewish. I'm agnostic so I'm not biased to any one religion!

Correction

Itche - from Israel, 2 years ago

On a second tought, after re-reading the article, I realized that the authors intention was to demonstrate the different opinions on both sides of this ancient, emotion loaded conflict. An outburst of anger over the (to my knowledge absolutly false) argumentations of the arabic media have prevented me from seeing that next to each argument the Israeli account was lightened as well. And there for I deeply apologize. I would though also like to reflect to some of reactions that were woken up by

Israel is free to murder civilians

Chris - from Brisbane, 2 years ago

Alan, maybe if you have taken the time to visit Israel you might understand who is the aggressor. Israel are under constant shelling by the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. targeting schools, children, elderly and anyone as long as it Jew are killed. Israel are defending their country and are not aggressors but defender of their own country.Every country has the right to defend their own country. The present trouble in syria has taken more lives and injured more people, nothing has been done.

END OF STORY

pt - from west aust, 2 years ago

Israel seized the GOLAN HEIGHTS to end the SYRIAN shelling ( with long range artillery ) of its northern kibbutzs .End of story . It could have taken DAMASCUS (16 kilometers away ) but didnt , nor did it shell Syrian Territory . Many of the local villiages left as a result of SYRIAN and ARAB propaganda ;that they wouldbe killed, that ISRAEL would be defeated by the HUGE SUPERIORORITY of arab armies and they would then be able to return once the JEWISH people and their RELIGION where erased .

SBS is spot on.

Perry - from Sydney, 2 years ago

Wow the Israeli propaganda machine is in overdrive. Mark, don't assume people lack facts about Israel's atrocities. Israeli's are leaders in distorting both the facts and truth when once again defending their murder of innocent Palestinians. Dave, the protesters are Palestinian refugees whose land, property, culture and country has been stolen by Israeli settlers. Itche, the holocaust - Israel's greatest industry and tool for world sympathy. YOU AINT THE VICTIMS NOW so stop believing you are.

bollocks

Itche - from Israel, 2 years ago

This is the largest heap of lies and distortion of history that I ever encountered in my life. It really calls for an explanation. Mainly,who is responsible for providing SBS with so much disinformation and why is SBS so eager to publish it without verification, or maybe even knowingly spreading those lies.By publishing such articles you insults the intelligence and memory of your reader. There is not even one word of truth in the whole article but a mesh of lies stitched roughly together. I guess next thing you are going to give us same kind of explanations about the Holocaust...

Any hope for intellect ?

David - from Melbourne, 2 years ago

Anyone with any intellect would realise that we keep treating citizens of privileged countries much better than we do the rest. Imagine what would happen if US citizens were to attempt to cross into Mexico and were shot by Mexican soldiers ! As long as we continue to demonstrate gross inequity in treatment of the peoples of the world, we ensure that terrorists will be bred and that we will continue to have much to fear. Why are we so very frightened to face up to the truth? Israeli Lobby?

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