Trump gives the Golan Heights to Israel
Trump does it again. Like his announcement of moving the U.S Embassy to Jerusalem, and his abrogation of the nuclear arms treaty with Iran and his support for Netanyahu in the upcoming elections, Trump seems to enjoy playing with matches in the gasoline filled Mideast. Trump announced that the Golan Heights, long part of Syria, […]
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Trump does it again. Like his announcement of moving the U.S Embassy to Jerusalem, and his abrogation of the nuclear arms treaty with Iran and his support for Netanyahu in the upcoming elections, Trump seems to enjoy playing with matches in the gasoline filled Mideast. Trump announced that the Golan Heights, long part of Syria, now belongs to Israel. This announcement is contrary to UN resolutions and contrary to the foreign policy of just about every one of our allies.
The Golan Heights, pictured above, lies above the fertile valleys of Israel. In the 1967 Arab- Israeli war, Syrian artillery on the Golan Heights devastated Israel developments below. A the end, Israeli tanks drove up the Heights and blew away all the artillery and the War soon ended. You can understand from the height of the Golan how artillery shells could rain down below. However, the Syrians were not able to reposition the artillery so the artillery could shoot straight down the mountain at the upcoming Israeli tanks.
Israel has kept control of the Golan Heights since 1967 maintaining that it is for defensive reasons. That may have been true in 1967 but modern military weapons make the Golan Heights no longer the huge military advantage it once was. The modern Israeli air force would make mince meat out of any artillery position on the Golan.
In 1981 Israel passed laws annexing the Golan Heights to Israel. The majority of the arab population followed the Druze religion which is unique and more akin to Shia Islam than other religions. The Druze were offered Israeli citizenship due to the annexation and the majority accepted. However, the Palestinians living on the Golan were not offered citizenship. The Druze people in Israel and the West Bank have long been enlisting in the IDF and have been accepted as loyal citizens.
Since 1967 Syria and Israel have had numerous peace discussions over the Golan. Assad’s father was very determined to regain the Golan Heights for Syria and in 2000 came close to an agreement. But it broke down over whether Syria would have access to the Sea of Galliee as they had historically. During Olmert’s administration Syria and Israel came very close to an agreement on all aspects of peace and territory. Now, as a result of Trumps announcement all previous discussions on peace and territory are moot..
The worst part of Trump’s ill advised announcement is that it has given rise to the annexation voices in Israel and the winds of annexing the West Bank are blowing very strong. Natafli Bennett of the Israel Home party and fellow right wing parties are saying the precedent has been set, Israel can annex the West Bank and not provide citizenship to the Palestinians living there and Trump will support us. Whether these annexation winds are strong enough to get annexation bills passed in the Knesset, no one knows, but if they are expect the Mideast to explode.
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