05 January 2022 12:27
Mevo Hama has a magnificent view over three countries. On its western slope is a precipitous cliff that descends to the Sea of Galilee and to the north of Israel. To the south is another steep slope, all the way to Jordan. And beyond the mountainous plateau to the east is Syria. The kibbutz was established shortly after Israel’s conquest of much of the Syrian Golan Heights during the 1967 Six Day War.
On December 26, 2021, Israeli ministers had their photograph taken in front of the splendid panorama after a special summit held in Mevo Hama. The government, led by nationalist Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, had just approved a billion shekels ($ 317 million) spending plan for thousands of new homes and infrastructure in the Golan, with the goal of doubling the area’s population. (currently 52,000 inhabitants) by the end of the decade.
Golan is one of the four territories occupied by Israel during the Six Day War. The Jewish state returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt after signing a peace agreement in 1978. It withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005 (though occasionally returns in force). And the final status of the West Bank has not yet been defined.
Instead Israel has for a long time justified its presence in the Golan by claiming self-defense. Syria had at times used the elevated position to bomb Israeli farms in the Galilee below. After taking possession of it, Israel expelled some of the Syrians, created Jewish settlements and built posts for the army and intelligence. In 1981 it then formally annexed 1,800 square kilometers of this strategically valuable territory. There were negotiations in the 1990s to return it to Syria as part of a broader peace agreement. But they got nowhere.
Internal and external supports
Much of the world believes Israel’s annexation of the Golan is illegal. Yet only the Syrian regime of Bashar al Assad and Israeli environmental groups, concerned about the region’s flora and fauna, have loudly opposed the new development project. Few countries would like to see the Golan return to the bloodthirsty Assad, even if they are embarrassed by the precedent that would be created. Ministers from the Labor Party and from Meretz, Israeli left-wing groups that had previously supported an agreement with Syria, voted in favor of the construction projects.
About half of the Golan’s population is represented by Druze Arabs, who use Israeli services and can apply for citizenship of the Jewish state. Yet many have retained their Syrian identity, often as an insurance policy in case Israeli rule ends. Israeli citizens tend to view the Golan as a tourist destination. The region is home to the country’s only ski resort. And while many Israelis fear going to the occupied West Bank, terrorist attacks in the Golan are rare. Attempts by Iran and its local allies to enlist the Druze in their own battle against Israel have had little success.
Bennett said the development project was encouraged, in part, by Washington. In 2019, the United States was the first major country to recognize Israeli sovereignty in the Golan. Donald Trump, then president, had justified the decision using the Israeli logic of self-defense, even though the move seemed programmed to benefit Benjamin Netanyahu, the then Prime Minister of Israel, engaged in a difficult race for re-election. . In gratitude, Israel has named one of the settlements in the Golan the name of Trump.
But since then Trump and Netanyahu have both lost the election, and many of the gold letters on the sign indicating “Trump heights” have been ripped up, probably by vandals. Yet the Biden administration shows no sign of wanting to reverse its predecessor’s decision. More uncertain is whether or not Bennet intends to spend part of that billion shekels on a new writing.
(Translation by Francesco De Lellis)
This article was published by The Economist.
.