Israeli Maginot Line - Golan Heights. Golan heights

11.10.2021

The Dutch Heights, or Golan, are located to the northeast and east of and are part of the Northern District of Israel, or rather, controlled by this country.

It is a disputed territory between Syria and Israel, which seized it as a result of which was waged in the Middle East in 1967 from June 5 to 10. The coalition, which included Egypt and Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Algeria, opposed Israel in this war.

Disputed territories

For the sake of fairness, it must be said that historically Israel the Dutch Heights belonged for more than 3000 years and, it is said, were bestowed by God. They became part of this country under King David and were part of the Holy (Promised) Land.

Syria, on the other hand, owned these lands, included in its province of Quneitra, for only 21 years. She got the disputed territories as a gift from the French, who, leaving these lands due to the end of the mandate, gave the Dutch Heights to Syria solely in order to annoy the Israelis.

Historical name

What is this territory? From the very beginning, it should be noted that the name of the height was received from the biblical city of Golan. This ancient settlement was located in Wasan, a historical region located on the east bank of the Jordan. Therefore, the correct name for these heights is "Golan", and not "Dutch". Holland, whose territory is mostly below sea level, has no heights, except for sand dunes.

Golan borders

The Golan Heights is a mountain plateau of volcanic origin, which in Israel covers 1150 square kilometers. Its height is 1200 meters above sea level. The western border of these territories, which in the Bible are called the Bashan land, is the Kinneret lake and the upper reaches of the Jordan, the eastern border is the Trakhona rocks of volcanic origin and the Druz mountains.

The Yarmuk River is the southern border of the Golan, and on the north side these lands are guarded by the Hermon Mountains (only 7% of their total area is located on it). El Sheikh or Hermon is the highest mountain in Israel. It reaches 2236 meters above sea level.

There is something to argue about

The Dutch Heights are divided into the Upper and Lower Golan. Naturally, there is very little arable land in the highland part, mainly herds graze here. But in the lower part there is a lot of land suitable for cultivation. They are located on numerous plains interspersed with basalt hills. And if the Upper Golan is called the country of the flocks, then the Lower Golan is called the country of flour, since both for Israel and for Syria these lands are the main granary. And not only wheat is grown here, but also cotton, olives, vegetables, almonds and subtropical fruits.

War territory

It should be noted that the war never avoided the Dutch Heights. Even after the death of Solomon, that is, in the X century BC, the country collapsed, and Israel (in the north) and Judea (in the south) arose. On the territory of the Golan, continuous battles were fought between the Israelite and Aramaic kingdoms for 200 years. periodically destroyed. So in 722 BC, the Assyrians, under the command of King Tiglath-Palassar, destroyed the country.

The Jews left their own (on which there was never a long peace), but already in the middle of the first millennium BC. BC, that is, during the time of the Second Temple, the Golan were returned, but then they became part of the Kingdom of Judah.

Courage symbol

Heights is a history of constant wars. In the first century AD (AD 67), the Golan was conquered by the Romans. The Jews very bravely defended their fairly well fortified cities. Gamala, the capital of the Golan at that time, put up a particularly strong resistance to the Roman invaders. The fearlessness and sacrifice of the defenders amazed the Romans, and the city has become for centuries a symbol of the courage of the Israeli soldiers. During the excavations that are being carried out in our time, not a single object or remains of structures have been found in these territories, which would indicate the presence in those distant times on these lands of someone other than Israelis. Only synagogues or settlements of ancient Jews are found here.

True masters of the land

In the 4th century, the Byzantines came here, who severely persecuted the Jews, and in the 7th century these conquerors were replaced by Muslim Arabs. In the XI century, battles begin between them and the crusaders. And none of the invaders cultivated these lands, except for the Jews, whom the enslavers constantly drove out, and they returned again and turned the deserts into gardens. And this fate befell not only the Dutch Heights. In Israel or Eretz Israel, all territories came to life and flourished when they were settled by Jews and turned into deserts with the arrival of conquerors. One of the most striking examples is Gaza.

Malaria swamps, sands and wastelands have turned into blossoming gardens since the establishment of Jewish settlements here. 35% of all flower production in Israel comes from this territory. And also vegetables and fruits grow here in abundance.

Nothing has changed in the 20th century either

For 400 years (1517-1918) Turkey ruled the Golan, turning these lands into deserted "backyards of the empire." From 1918 to 1946, Britain and France dominated here, which, as noted above, when leaving, "presented" the Golan to the newly emerged new state called Syria.

In 1948 Ben-Gurion proclaimed the creation of the Jewish state. And immediately the war began. After these territories of heights began to be actively populated by Israelis, the ancient village of Katzrin was revived. In total, 34 settlements were built here, and the number of inhabitants exceeded 20,000 people. In 1973, Israel repulsed an attack from Syria and defended the Dutch Heights. But the question of how long peace has come has always been in the air. Israeli jurisdiction was extended to these lands in December 1981 by a decision of the Knesset. But officially the Golan is considered a disputed territory.

Diversionary maneuver

On October 3, 2015, ISIS launched an offensive near Dutch Heights. 3,000 militants, using rocket artillery, set out to seize the former UN observation post, which is located on Mount Cuba. The militants hit the settlements of Jabata Al-Hashab and Tradja. ISIS undertook this maneuver in order to divert the Syrian army and the Russian Aerospace Forces from Damascus. But to date, the Syrian government army has returned all the local conquests of the ISIS in this area.

Golan landmarks

The Golan is the most remote Israeli territory and one of the most picturesque. The main attraction is the Wheel of Spirits or the Wheel of Rephaim located 16 km from Lake Kinneret. In its center there is a mound, and the megalithic monument itself belongs to the late Neolithic era (IV-III millennium BC)

Mountains and waterfalls, Druze villages and ski resorts (on Mount Hermon), dolmens and ancient synagogues (for example, in Gamal), nature reserves and national parks - all these are the Golan Heights (Israel). Detailed information about the wars waged in these territories has been set out above.

She showed how interesting and convenient this country is in terms of travel. But the feeling of some discomfort did not leave us for a moment here. After all, Israel is still on the fine line of war and peace with almost the entire Arab world. Therefore, armed soldiers, bomb shelters and military vehicles all the time do not raise any questions here. The Israelis themselves have long been accustomed to this suspended state, but this adds thrill to visiting guests. But the maximum of this kind of emotion can be felt by visiting the Golan Heights or simply the Golan. Numerous minefields, remnants of destroyed equipment, abandoned military facilities and observation border posts are ordinary everyday life in the Golan. All this can be viewed and photographed almost without hindrance. If only you have the courage, because these places are unsafe to this day. Aren't you scared? Then go ahead!
2.

It is worth noting that it is a good idea to travel to the Golan in the company of people who know these places well. Sasha became our guide puerrtto and probably the best expert on this region is hard to find. It’s hard for me to imagine I could, on my own, without his help, make a sortie into this troubled region. You can take a look at his report about that unforgettable trip. But first, I'll tell you a little about what, in fact, the Golan is so interesting for.
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This land is a volcanic mountain plateau, which is located just between the central regions of Israel and Syria, mired in a civil war. The Golan is a special, unlike anything else part of Israel. The land is burgundy-red, extinct volcano hills, rocky fields of frozen lava create unearthly surreal landscapes.
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Once these desert lands were called the land of shepherds and nomads. Hence the name has nothing to do with Holland, but is associated with cattle breeding. And here, since ancient times, there have been conflicts and wars. The Romans, Byzantines and Muslims constantly conquered and ceded these lands. Then the British, Turks and French tried to divide the Golan. Well, over the past 60 years, a fierce war has unfolded here between two relatively new states on the geographical map, Israel and Syria.
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It would seem who needs these lifeless lands, but the strategic value of the Golan Heights is enormous. First, this plateau rises above the surrounding lands from both the Israeli and Syrian sides. This is the most convenient foothold for controlling the situation in the entire region. And secondly, more than 30 percent of all water resources of the Jewish state are hidden in the bowels of this plateau.
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After the proclamation of the Israeli state and the first Arab-Israeli war, the Golan became the territory of Syria. For 20 years, the Syrian military took possession of these lands, creating a network of artillery positions and fortifications here. It was only a matter of time how long Israel would have tolerated this imminent threat to its country.
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In the course of the so-called Six Day War, the Golan came under complete control of the Jews. But just six years later, this region became the arena for what was apparently the last major tank battle of the 20th century. 40 years ago, Syria and Egypt suddenly attacked Israel from two sides. Not that the Jews weren't prepared for this invasion. They miscalculated only with time and scale.
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The Israeli network of temporary fortifications in the Golan alone was attacked by 1,300 Soviet-made T-62 and T-55 tanks. They were opposed by only 180 Israeli tanks "Centurion" and "Sherman". The superiority in manpower was no less impressive. Almost all Arab countries united in this war against Israel. Syria and Egypt were supported by soldiers and equipment by Iran, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Algeria. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain provided financial support. Technicians and consultants came from the USSR and Cuba. Surprisingly, the war lasted only 18 days and ended in the complete defeat of the Arabs. Only for the first few days, the surprise of the attack gave them ghostly hopes of success.
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Being in the Golan, you very vividly imagine what a handful of Israeli soldiers saw in the first hours of the outbreak of the war from the height of their fortified positions. Thousands of tanks, tens of thousands of infantry, many auxiliary equipment then filled the entire space near the Golan Heights. These were very convenient targets. The range of the Centurion's guns made it possible to destroy the Syrian troops at a practically safe distance. But the battle continued at night. The Syrian military, not differing in strategic or tactical talents, took in numbers. At the end of the second day, most of the Golan was almost in the hands of Syria, but then the Israeli reservists arrived. The outcome of the battle was a foregone conclusion.
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After this battle, the Golan was an amazing sight - thousands of wrecked cars, dozens of destroyed buildings and a lot of abandoned ammunition littered all over the place. We must pay tribute to Israel, in the Golan to this day they have managed to preserve many relics of that war. A kind of 60 kilometers perimeter of the Golan has become a huge open-air museum.
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Now a trip on this mountain plateau is quite comparable to the stalkers 'hike through the restricted areas from the Strugatskys' Roadside Picnic. Nerves tickle large areas of minefields, in the middle of which there are good paved roads.
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The myriad of abandoned objects, artifacts and strange landmarks can raise questions, some of which cannot be answered. For example, the famous intersection of the "suspended jeep". Who and why threw this burned-out Syrian UAZ on the pole is not known for certain. Apparently this is how a certain landmark was created. But now it was chosen by dozens of birds, which scatter with a noise when they clap their hands.
13.

The Israeli military almost completely cleared the fields of the destroyed Syrian equipment, while leaving their own destroyed "Centurions" at their last combat posts. This can be considered a tribute to the tank heroes of that battle, who did not flinch under the tenfold enemy onslaught. Until now, serving in the tank units of the Israeli army is a special honor for all citizens of this country liable for military service.
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Some of these tanks are not easy to approach. We have to walk with some caution along the paths right in the middle of the minefields. Several particularly memorable places of that battle have been turned into original memorials. They like to take schoolchildren and veterans to the so-called "Valley of Tears".
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Here the intensity of that battle was especially great. After a 4-day battle, about 500 Syrian tanks with other military equipment and up to 60 Israeli military vehicles remained in the mix throughout the entire territory of this place. By our time, only a couple have been left, whose gun barrels froze crossed in a final fatal convulsion.
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Here the Israelis have built a small amphitheater for visiting guests. It offers an excellent view of the entire valley below, all the way to the small Syrian town on the horizon. Sasha said that some time ago it was possible to come here to observe the real hostilities on the Syrian side between the local military and the armed opposition.
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I would call it a very peculiar pastime. Although a few barbed wire fences, anti-tank ditches and already new Israeli minefields practically do not give any new invaders a chance to penetrate here. In addition, each nearby hill has been turned into powerful observation posts and hides multi-level fortifications.
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After the Valley of Tears, we stopped at another very unusual place. It was a large, completely abandoned two-story building built by the Syrians as a hospital, but also serving as an Arab and army command headquarters.
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It's amazing that here you could freely enter inside, walk along long corridors and climb to the roof.
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There were visible traces of a short battle, hit by several large missiles and large-caliber machine-gun bursts.
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Nevertheless, this structure has been preserved in almost perfect condition and could easily become the scenery in some kind of cinematic war drama or horror film.
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Just a few kilometers from this building, we drove into the former Syrian barracks. I was again struck by the fact that we got inside absolutely unhindered. And in general, almost all the time during this day there was not a soul around. Only occasionally did military jeeps pass along the road, which, like us, lonely travelers were absolutely not interested in.
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The Israeli military has built several bomb shelters near the abandoned barracks. By the way, you shouldn't go inside the buildings themselves here. The inscriptions on the walls warn about this.
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I felt a little creepy here, the atmosphere of an unfinished war clearly pressed on my psyche. Therefore, we hastened to the next object.
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It was an abandoned mosque next to the Syrian cemetery. The tower of this mosque was clearly used as a firing point, so traces of massive shelling were visible on it.
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But it turned out that you can easily climb up a well-preserved staircase.
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The view from there was really great. In addition, the play of the light of the setting sun created extraordinary colors that added even more unreality to the surrounding gloomy reality.
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Already in the evening twilight, we drove up to our last designated point - the fortified hill of Tel-as-Saki.
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This place also turned out to be a landmark for the Israelis. Several dozen Israeli soldiers and six tanks fought a mortal battle here. The Syrian forces are no longer counting.
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In complete encirclement, the Israelis were able to hold this strong point for three days, at the end they were simply without strength and ammunition, wounded, hiding in the depths of the bunker. The losses of the Syrians were such that they did not even begin to finish off the garrison that did not surrender.
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Now the flag of Israel flies proudly here, and on the hill there are figures of infantrymen. In the vicinity of this hill, you can find a lot of mutilated rusty Soviet-made Syrian equipment - UAZ, trucks, armored cars.
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Today the Golan has become an amazing symbiosis of a nature reserve and an open-air museum. Minefields and border status were able to preserve the pristine beauty of the local nature and, at the same time, many interesting artifacts from the last major battle in these lands. It seems to me that this place has no analogues on Earth, but, of course, not everyone should go here, but only a little crazy travelers and lovers of military history. But they are guaranteed maximum emotions here!
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Between Israeli and Syrian forces at the end of the Six Day War.

Geography

View from the Golan Heights.

The Golan Heights are a mountain plateau of volcanic origin, stretching east from Lake Tiberias (Hebrew ים כנרת - Lake Kineret) and the Hula Valley, and further into Syria. Most of it is located at an altitude of more than 1000 meters above sea level. The area occupied by Israel in the Golan Heights is about 1,150 km² with a length of 60 km and an average width of 25 km.

In the west, the plateau drops abruptly towards Lake Tiberias, in the south and southeast it is limited by the deep and narrow gorge of the Yarmuk River. There are no clear natural boundaries in the east. Most of the Golan Plateau (about two thirds) is in Israel, the remaining third is in Syria.

The highest point in the Israeli-controlled part of the Golan Heights is Mount Hermon, 2,236 meters high. The territory occupied by Israel accounts for 7% of the Hermon Range, and the highest point in the Syrian territory reaches 2814 m. From November to March at least, the summit of Hermon is covered with snow. Israel built there ski resort.

Agriculture is well developed and includes numerous orchards (apples, cherries), berries (raspberries, strawberries). The cultivation of grapes and winemaking are very popular.

At the southwestern tip of the plateau are the Hamat Gader thermal springs, known since Roman times.

The Golan Heights is a picturesque place. There are numerous nature reserves, streams and waterfalls. The Golan has a very moderate climate. Due to the altitude, it is not very hot in summer and rather cold in winter, relative to the rest of Israel.

The hydrographic network is well developed. Rivers and streams formed by precipitation here (the main type of food is rain) are relatively numerous and flow into Jordan and Lake Tiberias (Lake Kinneret), from which Israel takes a significant part of its drinking water. According to various estimates, up to a third of the water consumed in Israel comes from the Golan Heights.

History

Archaeological excavations in the Golan have revealed many archaeological sites from the Biblical, Roman and medieval eras. A large number of ancient finds, shedding light on the history of the Golan Heights, are presented in the Museum of Antiquities of the Golan in the city of Katzrin and in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

The most ancient landmarks of the Golan Heights include the Wheel of Spirits, a megalith of the Late Copper - Early Bronze Age.

Archaeological excavations, which began at the end of the 19th century and became systematic only after the Six Day War, have uncovered many architectural monuments that testify to the existence of a large Jewish population there, at least from the time of Herod I to the Arab conquest in the 7th century. The ruins of synagogues, columns with images of Jewish symbols and with inscriptions in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek were found in the areas of the villages of Hamat Gader, Khirbet Kanaf, Kafr Kharib, the city of Katzrin and in many other places.

In biblical times, the area of the Golan Heights belonged to Bashan and was inhabited by the Rephaim. The name "Golan" comes from the name of the biblical city "Golan in Basan" (Deut.).

Ottoman Empire

World War I

In November 1917, a declaration was made public by the British Foreign Secretary (and formerly Prime Minister) Lord Arthur Balfour, in which the British government declared that it “favors the creation of a homeland in Palestine for the Jewish people and will use all its capabilities to accelerate the achievement of this goals…". The main motive for supporting the idea of creating a Jewish national state in Palestine was to enlist the sympathy of world Jewry at the end of the First World War (this was especially true of American Jews).

The hostilities on the Palestinian front ended only in October 1918 with the signing of the Mudros truce. Shortly after the defeat in World War I, the Ottoman Empire collapsed.

Mandates

Borders around the Golan Heights at different times.

At the same time, in 1920, the "Syrian Arab Kingdom" was founded with its center in Damascus. Faisal of the Hashemite dynasty, who later became king of Iraq, was declared king. But Syria's independence did not last long. Within a few months, the French army occupied Syria, defeating Syrian troops on July 23 at the Battle of the Meisaloun Pass.

The British Mandate for Palestine was due to take effect in September 1923, but England handed over the Golan Heights to France in March 1923, and they became part of the French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon. At the beginning of 1924, in accordance with the agreements, France transferred under British mandate control the border section of the territory on which the sources of Liddani (Dana) and the ruins of Tel Dan are located.

Since that time, attempts by Jews to establish settlements here have met with constant opposition from the French authorities in Syria under the mandate. The French Mandate lasted until 1943.

In 1936, a treaty was signed between Syria and France providing for the independence of Syria, but in 1939 France refused to ratify it.

In 1940, France itself was occupied by German troops, and Syria came under the control of the Vichy regime (governor - General Henri Fernand Denz). Nazi Germany, having provoked the insurrection of Prime Minister Gailani in British Iraq, sent its Air Force units to Syria. In June-July 1941, with the support of British troops, the Free French units (later renamed the Fighting France), led by Generals Charles de Gaulle and Catroux, entered Syria during a bloody conflict with Denz's troops. General de Gaulle in his memoirs directly pointed out that the events in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon were directly related to the German plans to invade the USSR (as well as Greece, including the island of Crete, and Yugoslavia), as they had the task of distracting the armed Allied forces to secondary theaters of war.

On September 27, 1941, France granted independence to Syria, leaving its troops on its territory until the end of World War II.

Independent Syria

In January 1944, Syria declared independence, and the Golan territory was included in the state borders of Syria. After that, the creation of Jewish settlements in the Golan Heights became absolutely impossible. Syria's independence was recognized on April 17, 1946.

On May 14, 1948, one day before the end of the British Mandate for Palestine, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the creation of an independent Jewish state on the territory allocated according to the UN plan. The very next day, the Arab League declared war on Israel, and seven Arab states (Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Transjordan) attacked the new country, thereby starting the first Arab-Israeli war, called Israel " War of Independence ”.

On July 20, 1949, as a result of the war between Israel and Syria, the Armistice Agreement was concluded.

At the end of the war, the Syrians covered the Golan with a network of artillery positions and fortifications for shelling the Jewish settlements of the Upper Galilee and the area of Lake Kinneret, subordinating the entire economy of the region to military needs. As a result of systematic shelling of Israel from these positions, from 1948 to 1967, 140 Israelis were killed, many were injured. According to Syrian data, in 1966 about 147.5 thousand people lived in the Golan Heights (the Electronic Jewish Encyclopedia gives a lower estimate - 116 thousand), of which about 80% were Arabs. On the territory of Quneitra governorate, there were 312 settlements and individual housing units, including two cities - El Quneitra in its central part and Fick on South .

Under Israeli control

The buildings in Quneitra were also looted. Israeli officials say Quneitra was plundered by the retreating Syrians. Niels-Goran Güssing, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations, considers such a version as unlikely given the extremely short time interval between the erroneous radio announcement of the fall and the actual fall of the city a few hours later. He concluded that "the responsibility for carrying out this extensive sacking of the city of Quneitra lay largely with the Israeli forces."

The US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants said that "before the withdrawal, the Israelis leveled the city with bulldozers and dynamite."

Since 1974, Quneitra has been in the neutral demilitarized zone between the Israeli and Syrian border controlled by UN forces. The city remains practically uninhabited to this day. The capital of the Israeli-controlled part of the Golan is the city of Katzrin.

In the late 1970s, the Israeli government granted Israeli citizenship to Syrian citizens living in the Golan Heights, and in November 1981 Israel officially annexed the Golan Heights, extending its jurisdiction over them. The act did not receive international recognition ( see section ""). Today about 39 thousand people live in the Golan. Of the Syrian settlements, 4 villages have survived: Madjdal Shams, Masaada (local pronunciation - Masade), Bukata and Ein Kinia; most of their inhabitants are Druze.

A warning sign in minefields.

A large number of old Syrian minefields have survived in the Golan Heights. Most of them are fenced and marked with warning signs, but they are not neutralized. As a result, natural nature has been preserved on a large territory and there are places where, since 1967, no human has actually set foot.

After establishing control over the Golan Heights, the Israel Defense Forces set up fortified posts here, equipped with electronic equipment for reconnaissance. The largest electronic intelligence stations are located on Mount Hermon (60 km from Damascus), as well as on the heights of Hermonit, Tel Fares, Avital and Buster.

Syrian Civil War period

Since the beginning of 2011, units of the Israel Defense Forces have begun laying new minefields in the Golan Heights. The decision on the new mining of the border was made after the Palestinians, who came from Syria, managed to break through the border fence and penetrate into Israeli territory, while the old mines did not work. In addition, by 2012 Israel had built a separation wall here. The IDF has fortified a wall along the ceasefire line and has also installed additional border surveillance to prevent possible infiltration attempts by Syrian refugees or militants, the Guardian reported.

During the civil war (2011-2018), Quneitra was almost completely captured by rebels and Majahideen. It was only in the summer of 2018 that the Syrian Arab Army managed to oust most of the militants from the region.

Political status

El Quneitra (governorate)

Located in the southwestern part of the country. The administrative center is Madinat elBaas (the city of El-Quneitra 1964-67). The area is under control 600 km (officially 1861 km²). In the northeast, it borders with Damascus governorate, in the east - with Dar'a governorate, in the south - with Jordan, in the west - with Israel partially along the Jordan River and Lake Tiberias, in the north - with Lebanon.

Golan (District)

In December 1981, Israeli jurisdiction was extended to the Golan region by a decision of the Knesset. Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights is not internationally recognized. UN Security Council Resolution 497 of December 17, 1981 considers this area to be part of the Syrian occupied territories. The annexation was also condemned by the UN General Assembly in 2008. In official UN documents, the Israeli-controlled territory of the Golan is referred to as the "occupied Syrian Golan" (occupied Syrian Golan).

The majority of the Syrian population of the Golan Heights left them as a result of the Six Day War - fled (according to the Israeli version) or were expelled by the Israelis (according to the Syrian version). According to the Syrian version, Israel forbade these people to return after the war. After the Six Day War, only 6,400 Syrian citizens, mostly Druze, remained in the Golan. In 1981, following the annexation of the Golan by Israel, they were offered Israeli citizenship. Most of the Druze initially renounced Israeli citizenship, but eventually adopted it. Today, according to Syrian data, 16,000 Syrians live in the Golan.

Since 1967, Israel has built 34 settlements in the Golan. Their total population in 2007 was about 20 thousand people. The population of Druze villages in the Golan was about 18 thousand people. In general, a significant part of the territory is sparsely populated.

The question of possible talks between Israel and Syria on the Golan Heights issue has a long history. As a rule, this is due to internal political events in Israel and / or Syria, or with the next international initiative. In the 1999-2000 US-sponsored talks between Syria and Israel, Israel made a proposal to retreat to the 1923 borders (see Paulet-Newcombe Agreement) so that control of the coast of Lake Tiberias would remain with Israel. ; negotiations were unsuccessful.

Motives of Israel

There are several reasons why Israel is defending its right to the Golan Heights:

Legal aspect. For decades, Israeli lawmakers, legal scholars, historians and many politicians have persistently argued and reinforced in the minds of most Israelis the view that the Golan is a land that belonged to the Jewish people since ancient times and was illegally transferred to Syria in 1923. According to this point of view, initially the Golan, in accordance with the mandate of the League of Nations, was assigned to Great Britain, and that, guided by the Balfour Declaration, was supposed to promote the creation of a "Jewish national hearth" in the territories under its control. However, the border of the mandated territory was revised during the Anglo-French negotiations during the division of the Damascus vilayet in violation of the international obligations of the countries that won the First World War.

The economic aspect. The Golan Heights is economically one of the most prosperous regions in Israel. There is virtually no unemployment here. More than 50% of Israel's mineral water is produced in the Golan, about a quarter of all wines (including 40% for export), from 30 to 50% of certain types of fruits and vegetables. Good weather and the presence of historical and natural monuments ensure an influx of tourists. Despite the fact that the tourism business in Israel has been significantly affected by the ongoing confrontation with the Palestinians, the Golan continues to be the site of a steady influx of tourists from Israel and abroad (about 2.1 million visits per year). The procedure associated with the withdrawal from the Golan, including the resettlement of residents and the need to increase the military contingent on the border with Syria, will entail costs that Israel cannot cover from the state budget.

Water supply aspect. Of the few rivers in Israel with a year-round aquifer, only the Jordan River and its three tributaries - El Hasbani (Snir), Baniasi (Banias) and Liddani (Dan) - replenish Lake Tiberias, which is the main reservoir of fresh water in the country and already with difficulty provides her today's needs. Currently [ when?] more than 30% of Israel's drinking water comes from sources flowing through the Golan Heights. According to experts from the Bureau for Relations with Jews of the CIS and Eastern Europe under the Prime Minister's Office (Nativ), the transfer of the Golan Heights to Syria would be associated with the loss of 70% of the Kinneret drainage basin. According to this opinion, the transfer of the Golan to Syrian control will inevitably lead Israel to water hunger and environmental disaster [ ] .

Photo

Notes (edit)

Ethnicity and religion in modern conflicts. M., 2012
Golan Heights - Background, (Government Press Office), Jerusalem, 8 February 1994. Retrieved June 2, 2018.(English)
The melody of return sounds second century, Rodina magazine (unavailable link - history) ... Retrieved June 2, 2018. Archived January 9, 2013.(Russian)
Balfour Declaration (November 2, 1917). British Mandate. ... Retrieved June 2, 2018.(Russian)

Let's start with a little historical background. Over the past 500 years, whoever did not own the Golan - the Mamluks, the Ottomans and the French through their colonial administration. Since 1949, the Golan became Syrian. Moreover, obviously thanks to the greed of the British (who handed them over to the French), the line of demarcation between their Palestine and future Syria did not pass along the Tiberias Lake (it is the Kinneret, it is the Sea of Galilee), but slightly east of its coastline. What's interesting - let's stop later, but for now, here they are, the Golan Heights, with the Syrian ski resort on Mount Hermon and other places:

By the way, in Israel there are still accusations against Great Britain that she handed over the Golan Heights to France without the will of the Israelis. They didn’t ask. By the way, there was not a single settlement there at that time!

The annexation of the Golan to Israel in 1981 is generally considered the restoration of Eretz Israel, although there are SUCH maps where we see that the heights do not belong to the ancient state of Israel. Well, no way. There is evidence that synagogues were unearthed there ... ahem ... reminds of recent material on "Country of Cities". In general, even if synagogues were found, then imagine, for example, the Earth after a general catastrophe that killed humanity and alien archaeologists, who, based on (better than other temples, for example) the surviving ruins of mosques, decide that Moscow is part of the ancient Islamic empire of mankind. "Guest" temples are not uncommon in our world. There is a synagogue in Irkutsk and a mosque too. Will it become ancient Muslim or Hebrew because of this ?!

Here, for example, are such maps, moreover, according to the second, we see the territories of influence of the kingdom of King David.

It would seem, what is valuable in these heights? And the mountains to the north of them? And the answer is simple - WATER. It is one thing to live on a scale when Israel's original inhabitants would live and give birth to offspring. But it so happened that there have materialized many hundreds of thousands of far from local residents who want to eat and drink, wash and wash. In general, water is a valuable resource for Israel (and for all of its neighbors too). And therefore, back in 1964, the construction of the All-Israel water pipeline was completed, which has a throughput capacity of up to 450 million cubic meters of water per year and takes it not somewhere, but in the Kinneret Lake! In general, with a consumption of about 1400 million cubic meters per year, this aqueduct and Lake Kinneret (via the Jordan River) provide up to 1/4 of water consumption in Israel. By the way, 30% and 60% are called for drinking and mineral water. For example, in the 60s it could have been more than 30% with a smaller number of the population and not using others.

Thus, it is understandable that the British looked forward to the future, when their colony in Palestine would not have problems with water, unlike the French. And it would be possible to sell water. By the way, Israel supplies 90 million cubic meters to Jordan.

The most interesting thing is that the Syrians also tried to build such a water supply system - this is what Wikipedia says:

"War for Water:

In September 1964, shortly after the opening of the all-Israel aqueduct, the Arab League met in Cairo. The main issue on the agenda was the deprivation of Israel's ability to pump water from the Kinneret and Jordan, and its further transfer to the south. Back in 1953, Syria proposed to dig a diversion canal that collects the waters of the Khatsbani and Banias rivers and smaller streams flowing from the Golan Heights and feeding the Jordan River and Lake Kinneret. The water thus obtained was supposed to be dumped by gravity into the Yarmouk River after seventy kilometers and divided between Syria and Jordan. This time, the plan was accepted by the League, and the necessary funds were allocated for this. Construction work began in early November.

The implementation of the Syrian program threatened the very existence of Israel, since it assumed the diversion of 60% of the Jordan's waters and, as a result, a sharp drop in the water level in Lake Kiner. This meant a significant reduction in the amount of drinking water in the country. Therefore, the Government of Israel has decided to prevent the implementation of this program at all costs.

This conflict subsequently led to the so-called "War for Water" between Syria and Israel. Syria made three attempts to build a diversion canal. All three were prevented by IDF military operations. After each failed attempt, construction moved away from the Israeli-Syrian border. To prevent Israel from being accused of aggression against Syria and violating ceasefire agreements, the operations were preceded by patrols or plowing land in the demilitarized zones, which the Syrians considered prohibited from visiting by the Israelis. Syrian troops invariably responded to this by shelling Israeli territory. The operations were presented as responses to such attacks. In 1967, during the Six Day War, Israel occupied the Golan Heights, and the threat of diverting the tributaries of the Jordan disappeared. "

During the "water-supply" wars, shells flew across the border in such a way that now there is not even a pitiful likeness - these are Israeli strikes, for example, of this summer. And Israel was not a victim in any way. Yes, he opposed an attempt to significantly reduce the discharge of water into the Kinneret. The fact is that on the Syrian territory in the Golan and the foothills of Hermon (now occupied) there are up to 70% of the water sources for the Kinneret. Let us leave the question of Israel's right or wrong with regard to the appropriation of water "outside the brackets", although, for example, the same Israeli Defense Minister in 19657-1974 Moshe Dayan in a private conversation told the journalist the figure of 80%. And this is the share of the fault of the Israeli side in the total number of clashes. Moreover, the peak of the collisions fell on the years of construction of water pipelines.

It is partly incomprehensible to me how the Palestinians would have survived on the west bank of the Jordan. However, without the water of the Jordan, their territories would not be so valuable for the aggression of Israel, which in 1967, during the seizure of the territories of the West Bank of the river, got access to the Jordan River and to additional water resources. However, the issue is completely resolved by genocide and expulsion. No wonder hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have settled in countries around their former homeland. Even Aleppo had a refugee camp from there.

Thus, it was the struggle for water, in my opinion, that served as one of the main prerequisites for the 1967 six-day war. And I would not be surprised if Israel deliberately provoked the Arabs in the hope of taking control of the territories captured during the war. TAKE WATER !!! Consider the recent struggle of the Syrian army for Vaadi Barad last year. After all, the war was going on for free water supply for a huge city - Damascus. Who said the Syrians have less rights to water in the Golan ?!

So, in 1981, the Knesset of Israel decided to include the Golan in Israel. And this is not recognized by anyone in the world. And the Syrian government continued to try to negotiate with Israel. However, what kind of negotiations can there be when Israel was fighting for the wrong?

So, there are many reasons for Israel's non-return of the Golan:

1. The most important. Water. Namely, cutting off Syria from Lake Tiberias and the Jordan River. Thus, the reduction of risks associated with claims of Syria on the water resources of both water sources.

2. Unwillingness to "play back" the scandalous decision of the Israeli Knesset.

3. Settlements built and economic income. Relocation of the line of border fortifications. Tourism. For example, when a seized ski resort is returned to Mount Hermon, it automatically becomes Syrian.

4. Posts of radar and electronic reconnaissance on the heights and Mount Hermon, allowing you to look deep into Syria.

And there are others.

How Israel decided to settle the Golan issue almost forever will be the following story.

The Golan Heights is a disputed territory in the Middle East, currently controlled by Israel. Until 1967, it was part of the Syrian province of Quneitra, captured by Israel during the Six Day War.

In 1981, the Knesset of Israel passed the Golan Heights Law, which unilaterally declared Israel's sovereignty over the territory. The annexation was invalidated by UN Security Council Resolution 497 of December 17, 1981.

Both Israel and Syria consider the Golan Heights to be part of their territory.

The Golan Heights are a mountain plateau of volcanic origin, stretching east from Lake Tiberias (Hebrew ים כנרת - Lake Kinneret) and the Hula Valley, and further into Syria. Most of it is located at an altitude of more than 1000 meters above sea level. The area occupied by Israel in the Golan Heights is about 1,150 km² with a length of 60 km and an average width of 25 km.

The highest point in the Israeli-controlled part of the Golan Heights is Mount Hermon, 2236 m high. The territory occupied by Israel accounts for 7% of the Hermon Range, and the highest point in Syrian territory reaches 2814 m.At least from November to March, the peak of Hermon is covered with snow. Israel has built a ski resort there.

Agriculture is well developed and includes numerous orchards (apples, cherries), berries (raspberries, strawberries). The cultivation of grapes and winemaking are very popular.

At the southwestern tip of the plateau are the Hamat-Gader thermal springs, known since Roman times.

The Golan Heights is a fairly picturesque place. There are numerous nature reserves, streams and waterfalls. The Golan has a very moderate climate. Due to the altitude, it is not very hot in summer and rather cold in winter, relative to the rest of Israel.

Precipitation is comparatively abundant and flows into the Jordan and the nearby Lake of Tiberias, from which Israel draws most of its drinking water.

Settlement history

On June 9-10, 1967, during the Six Day War, Israeli forces launched an offensive and, after 24 hours of heavy fighting, occupied the Golan Heights. Thus, the Golan Heights, having come under the control of Syria in 1944 after the termination of the French mandate, were under Syrian control for 23 years.

During the Yom Kippur War in October 1973, the heights were the scene of fierce battles. In the early days of the war, which began with a surprise attack by Egyptian and Syrian forces, Syria tried to regain control of the heights, but to no avail.

The Syrian administrative center of the Golan was the city of El Quneitra, but it was abandoned by residents after the Israeli army occupied the Golan Heights during the Six Day War.

At the same time, according to the American historian Daniel Pipes, known for his criticism of the modern Islamic world, the Syrian authorities, in order to achieve a propaganda effect, did not allow the population to return to the city to their normal life and since then have shown the ruins of the city as a result of Israeli "unprecedented terrorism and cruelty ". The American organization "CAMERA" claims that the destruction of the city is the result of hostilities from Syria, which, in an attempt to shell Israeli positions in the Golan, for hours in 1970-1973 subjected Quneitra to powerful artillery shelling.

The buildings in Quneitra were also looted. Israeli officials say Quneitra was plundered by the retreating Syrians. Niels-Goran Güssing, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations, regards such a version as unlikely given the extremely short time interval between the erroneous radio announcement of the fall and the actual fall of the city a few hours later. He concluded that "the responsibility for carrying out this extensive sacking of the city of El Quneitra lay largely with the Israeli forces."

The US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants said that "before the withdrawal, the Israelis leveled the city with bulldozers and dynamite."

Since 1974, Quneitra has been in the neutral demilitarized zone between the Israeli and Syrian border controlled by UN forces. The city remains practically uninhabited to this day.

The capital of the Israeli-controlled part of the Golan is the city of Katzrin.

In the late 1970s, the government granted Israeli citizenship to Syrian citizens living in the heights, and in November 1981 Israel formally annexed the Golan Heights, extending its jurisdiction over them. The act has not received international recognition.

Today about 39 thousand people live in the Golan. Of the Syrian settlements, 4 villages remained: Majdal Shams, Masada, Bukata and Ein Kinie; most of their inhabitants are Druze.

A large number of old Syrian minefields have survived in the Golan Heights. Most of them are fenced and marked with warning signs, but they have not been neutralized. As a result, natural nature has been preserved on a large territory and there are places where, since 1967, no human has actually set foot.

After the occupation of the Golan Heights, Israeli fortified posts were equipped here, equipped with electronic equipment for reconnaissance, the largest electronic reconnaissance stations are located on Mount Hermon (60 km from Damascus), as well as on the heights of Hermonit, Tel Fares, Avital and Buster.

Since the beginning of 2011, IDF units have begun laying new minefields in the Golan Heights. The decision on the new mining of the border was made after the Palestinians, who came from Syria, managed to break through the border fence and penetrate into Israeli territory, while the old mines did not work. In addition, by 2012 Israel had built a separation wall here. The IDF is reinforcing the wall along the ceasefire line and installing additional border surveillance to prevent possible infiltration attempts by Syrian refugees or militants, according to the Guardian newspaper.

In December 1981, Israeli jurisdiction was extended to the Golan region by a decision of the Knesset.

The annexation of the Golan Heights by Israel is not internationally recognized, and UN Security Council Resolution 497 considers the area to be part of the Syrian occupied territories.

The Syrian population of the Golan prior to the Israeli occupation was about 116,000. During the Six Day War, most of this population fled (according to the Israeli version) or were expelled by the Israelis (according to the Syrian version). According to the Syrian version, Israel forbade these people to return after the war. After the Six Day War, only 6,400 Syrian citizens remained in the Golan, mostly Druze. In 1981, following the annexation of the Golan by Israel, they were offered Israeli citizenship.

Most of the Druze initially renounced Israeli citizenship, but eventually adopted it. They currently hold dual citizenship. Today, according to Syrian data, 16,000 Syrians live in the Golan.

Since 1967, Israel has built 34 settlements in the Golan. Their total population in 2007 is about 20 thousand people. The population of Druze villages in the Golan is about 18 thousand people. In general, a significant part of the territory is sparsely populated.

In 1981, the Knesset of Israel passed the Golan Heights Law, which unilaterally declared Israel's sovereignty over the territory. The annexation was invalidated by the UN Security Council Resolution of December 17, 1981 and condemned by the UN General Assembly in 2008.