Hold On To The Golan
Larry Domnitch-
Monday 24th Nov 2003
 Four years
ago, former Israeli prime minister Ehud
Barak offered to give Syria the Golan
Heights. The negotiations that followed
failed to reach an agreement, however, and
four years later the Golan remains in
Israeli hands. A few weeks ago, just hours
before the start of Yom Kippur, Israeli
Ambassador to the |
|
UN Dan Gillerman presented the reasons why
Israeli planes attacked a terrorist training
camp in Syria that was connected to the recent
suicide attacks in Jerusalem. In his speech,
Gillerman noted Syria`s support for
Palestinian terror, detailing each attack in
which Syria has had a direct role.
Here are a few of the many facts presented by
the ambassador:
1) The Islamic Jihad organization, which
operates within Palestinian
Authority-controlled territory and was
responsible for many of the recent attacks,
has its headquarters in Damascus.
2) Syria offers various levels of support to
many terrorist organizations including Hamas,
Hizbullah, and the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine. In addition, Syria
has actively coordinated attacks with known
terrorists.
3) State-run Damascus Radio has boldly
admitted that "Syria, its political leadership
and its Arab people have turned Syrian Arab
soil into a training camp, a safe haven, and
an arms depot for the Palestinian
revolutionaries."
4) Syrian President Bashir Assad stated on May
15, 2002, regarding acts of terror against
Israelis: "If I had not been president of
Syria, I would not hesitate to participate in
them." (How presidential.)
Every statement by Gillerman was backed with
evidence so overwhelming that the
Security Council, which initially had convened
to discus the condemnation of Israel for
attacking the terrorist camp, decided to
reconvene and discuss the matter at a future
date. The damning record of Syria could not be
ignored — even by the UN. (Of course, one
should not expect the UN to act against Syria
regardless of the accusations.)
The question beckons, how would Syria use the
Golan Heights if it had them back? Just
imagine that relatively small yet
strategically invaluable region — hills rising
to the peaks of Mount Hermon which overlooks
Israel, Lebanon and Syria — in the hands of a
dictatorship that promotes and facilitates
terror against Israel. The answer is obvious.
How close Israel came to a monumental debacle
with Barak`s offer! It would have been hailed
as another “diplomatic breakthrough,” with
more signings, ceremonies, and Israeli land
withdrawals, but in the long run it would have
served as another proof of the folly of such
concessions.
Has granting the PA control over the
territories curbed terrorism? Has Israel`s
withdrawal from southern Lebanon removed the
threat of Hizbullah? Has Egyptian control over
the Sinai, granted by the original camp David
accords of 1978, ensured that the Sinai would
not become a conduit for smuggling weapons to
terrorists in Gaza?
In the event that Assad wakes up one day and
decides to wear a garment of “moderation,”
Israelis and all people of good will who
oppose terrorism must remember what Assad
(like his father before him) has always stood
for. The last thing Israel needs is yet
another menace on yet another border.
The majestic peaks of the Golan Heights look
right over Northern Israel. Many of the
Syrian positions used before 1967 to shell
Israeli settlements in the Hula valley still
stand intact, serving as reminders of how this
strategic area was used when in Syrian hands.
Israel`s continued hold on the Golan will not
only help prevent any similar misuse, but will
allow the Jewish state to use this vital area
to vigilantly guard its borders and help
ensure that the northern part of the country
remains as quiet as it can be.
The Israeli ambassador`s words must be
remembered. They give more than ample reason
why the Golan must remain in Israel`s hands.
Larry Domnitch is an author and high school
teacher |
