Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu claimed that the agreement with Syria regarding the occupied Golan Heights had collapsed. In his video message during his visit to Mount Bental in the occupied Golan Heights, Netanyahu said, “This region has been controlled as a buffer zone for nearly 50 years in accordance with the Withdrawal of Forces Agreement agreed in 1974. This agreement collapsed and Syrian soldiers abandoned their positions.” left.” he said. Following these statements, a first occurred in 51 years and Israeli forces crossed the buffer zone in the Golan Heights and entered Syrian territory for the first time after 1973.
“IT WILL BE A PART OF IT FOREVER”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a press conference after the overthrow of the Assad regime in Syria. Netanyahu stated that a new page was opened in the Middle East yesterday with the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, and drew attention to the billions of dollars spent by Iran to keep Assad in power. Describing Syria as an “Iranian outpost” and a line for weapons from Iran to Hezbollah, Netanyahu referred to Israel’s occupation of the Golan Heights in 1967 and said, “Today, everyone understands how important our presence in the Golan is.” ” he said.
Stating that Israel’s presence in the Golan Heights guarantees its security and sovereignty, Netanyahu said, “The Golan Heights will forever be an integral part of Israel.”
Reiterating his claim that the fall of the Assad regime was a direct result of the heavy blows dealt by Israel to Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, Netanyahu said that since October 7, 2023, Israel has been working “in a systematic, measured and organized manner” to disintegrate the Iranian axis. he said. Claiming that they have changed the face of the Middle East, Netanyahu said, “Whoever cooperates with us will gain greatly, and whoever attacks us will lose greatly.”
Stating that Israel wants to see a different Syria that will benefit both Israel and Syrians, Netanyahu said, “Today, we extend our hand to those who want to live in peace with us, and we will cut off the hand of those who try to harm us.” Claiming that Hamas was “more alone than ever” after the overthrow of Assad, Netanyahu said: “He was expecting help from Hezbollah, we took it away from him. He was expecting help from Iran, and we received it too. He was expecting help from the Assad regime, okay, that won’t happen anymore. “Isolating Hamas opens a new door to progress on a deal that will bring back our hostages,” he said.
THEY SHARED THE IMAGES
In his statement in the Golan Heights, Netanyahu argued that the occupation was temporary. The Israeli army shared with the public visuals of its soldiers and armored vehicles occupying the buffer zone in the Golan.
It increased its military presence on the Syrian border under the pretext of a possible conflict with the groups that overthrew the Assad regime in Syria. The movement of soldiers and military vehicles in the region belonging to the Israeli army occupying Sheikh Mountain was recorded. The Israeli army, which reinforces its troops in the Golan Heights, continues its mobility in the region.
ENGLAND: “WE DO NOT RECOGNIZE ISRAEL’S ANNEXMENT”
Reactions poured in from around the world to Israel’s occupation of Syrian territory. The British Foreign Office said, “Our position is clear, the Golan Heights are occupied territory and we do not recognize Israel’s annexation of it.” made the statement. In the statement, it was reported that Foreign Minister David Lammy discussed the issue with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar yesterday and said, “Our position is clear, the Golan Heights are occupied territory and we do not recognize Israel’s annexation of it.” expressions were used.
REACTION FROM GERMANY
Qatar, Iraq and Egypt also condemned the Israeli army’s occupation of the buffer zone on the Syrian border. German Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Sebastian Fischer said, “The Golan Heights were occupied by Israel in 1967 and annexed in 1981. Germany does not recognize this annexation. According to international law, the region controlled by Israel belongs to Syria.” made the statement.
ATTACK FROM ISRAEL ON LAZKYIA
On the other hand, Israel increased its air strikes against Syria after the overthrow of the Assad regime. Unnamed Syrian security sources reported that the Israeli army carried out an air strike on the Syrian city of Latakia. Sources stated that the air defense facility located near Latakia Port was targeted in the attack.
The Israeli army has carried out more than 100 attacks on Syrian territory, including the capital Damascus, since the overthrow of the Assad regime.
THE PROCESS LEADING TO THE OCCUPATION STARTED IN 1967
The Israeli occupation of the strategically important Golan Heights began in 1967. The Israeli army occupied the Golan Heights as well as the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Sinai in the war known as the “Six-Day War”, which began on June 5, 1967.
In the 1973 war, known as the “Yom Kippur War”, which they started in coordination with Egypt, Syria tried to liberate the Golan Heights from Israeli occupation, but failed.
The Force Withdrawal Agreement was signed between Tel Aviv and Damascus on June 5, 1974. With this agreement, Israel agreed to withdraw from the Syrian territory it occupied in the Yom Kippur War, while continuing to remain in the Golan Heights, which it occupied in 1967.
Israel, which does not want to leave the region due to its strategic importance, announced that it unilaterally annexed the Golan Heights in 1981, but the international community, except the USA, has not recognized this decision to date.
Many attempts have been made to resolve the problem in the Golan Heights, but all of them have failed. One of them was made under the mediation of the USA in 2000. Negotiations initiated under the mediation of the USA, with the aim of returning the Golan Heights to Syria, ended in failure. The reason why the talks failed was that Israel was not willing to cede a piece of land next to the Sea of Galilee, which is a key water source, to Syria.
Syria and Israel resumed indirect negotiations under the mediation of Turkey in 2008, with the aim of achieving a comprehensive peace agreement. The talks were terminated after Israel’s attack on Gaza and the resignation of then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak due to a corruption case.
In 2016, Netanyahu gathered the Council of Ministers in the Golan Heights and called on the world to recognize it as “Israeli land”, but the international community did not respond positively to this, on the contrary, it reacted.
After becoming the 45th US President, Donald Trump announced on March 25, 2019 that they “recognized Israeli sovereignty” over the Syrian Golan Heights.
ISRAEL’S ‘SAFETY AND WATER SUPPLY’
The main factors that make the Golan Heights important for Israel are security and water. The region is in a geostrategic position that cannot be ignored in terms of security and has rich water resources. Israel obtains one-third of its total water needs from water resources in the Jordan River and Golan Heights.
Israel holds the Golan Heights, one of the highest points in the region and only 60 kilometers away from Damascus, thus gaining a great strategic advantage over neighboring countries.
The Golan Heights, which is Syrian territory according to international law but is de facto occupied by Israel, also has borders with Lebanon and Jordan, in addition to these two countries.
The fact that the Golan region is referred to many times in Jewish holy texts sanctifies the region in the eyes of most religious Jews.
For such reasons, the Golan Heights, which has an important place in Israeli domestic politics, is seen by Israel as “an indispensable part of their country”.
SYRIAN DRUZE ARABS AND JEWISH SETTLERS LIVE
There are more than 30 Jewish settlements in the Golan Heights. Around 20 thousand Jewish settlers live here. International law considers the presence of Jewish settlers here illegal.
Around 25 thousand Syrian Druze Arabs also live in the Golan Heights. Druze Arabs living in the villages at the foot of the Golan Heights, which Israel occupied in 1967 and annexed in 1981, want to connect to their homeland, Syria, and unite with their relatives on the opposite bank.
Golan Druze, who largely refused to receive education in Israeli universities, were able to go to Syria for education from the regions under the supervision of the UN Peace Force and the International Red Cross Organization stationed in the Golan Heights until the civil war broke out in 2011. Now they are deprived of this opportunity.
These Druze Arabs living in the villages of Majdel Shams, Mas’ada, Bukata, Ayn Kanya and Al-Ghajar on the foothills of the Golan Heights still hang Syrian flags on the walls of their houses. The Golan Druze, who erected monuments and statues in accordance with the Arab tradition in the squares of their villages, are trying to live their culture and pass it on to future generations, despite the geography changing hands.
The Golan Druze Arabs, whom Israel wanted to naturalize after annexing their region in violation of international law in 1981, opposed Israel’s move with a mass strike in 1982 and did not allow the implementation of the naturalization scenario.
Golan residents, who have not acquired Israeli citizenship but have the right to permanent residence, can travel abroad and do business with “Laissez-passer” documents (free pass document given to communities without citizenship), just like Palestinians living in occupied East Jerusalem.