Historical Aspects of ‘Golan’ Heights in the Middle East Region
  • Author(s): Dr. Gururaj Prabhu K
  • Paper ID: 1702647
  • Page: 199-209
  • Published Date: 29-04-2021
  • Published In: Iconic Research And Engineering Journals
  • Publisher: IRE Journals
  • e-ISSN: 2456-8880
  • Volume/Issue: Volume 4 Issue 10 April-2021
Abstract

The Golan Heights were part of Syria until 1967, when Israel captured most of the area in the Six Day War, occupying it and annexing it in 1981. That unilateral annexation was not recognized internationally, and Syria demands the return of the territory. Syria tried to regain the Heights in the 1973 Middle East war, but was thwarted. Israel and Syria signed an armistice in 1974 and the Golan had been relatively quiet since. In 2000, Israel and Syria held their highest-level talks over a possible return of the Golan and a peace agreement. But the negotiations collapsed and subsequent talks also failed. Extending 25 km beyond the “Area of Separation” on both sides is an “Area of Limitation” in which there are restrictions on the number of troops and number and kinds of weapons that both sides can have there. The security dimension has been heightened by the civil war in Syria, which has seen Iran and its Lebanese Shiite ally Hezbollah entrench themselves on Israel's doorstep through their support of the Assad regime. Israel says Iran and Hezbollah pose a threat and the Golan provides a security barrier. When powerful states flout the rules of international law, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the United Nations Security Council last May, “it sends the message that others can break those rules with impunity”. Since coming into office in January of last year, President Joe Biden and his top aides have avoided publicly endorsing Trump’s recognition of “Israeli sovereignty” over the Golan Heights, but they have quietly kept the policy in place.

Keywords

Israel, Syria, 1967 war, UN Resolution of 242, Jewish colonization, Foreign policy, racist propaganda, Bashan, Biblical references, I WW, USA, Bilateral talks

Citations

IRE Journals:
Dr. Gururaj Prabhu K "Historical Aspects of ‘Golan’ Heights in the Middle East Region" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 4 Issue 10 2021 Page 199-209

IEEE:
Dr. Gururaj Prabhu K "Historical Aspects of ‘Golan’ Heights in the Middle East Region" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 4(10)