Why does Israel place such importance on the Golan Heights?

The occupied sector of the Golan Heights provides or controls a substantial portion of the water in the Jordan River watershed, which in turn provides a portion of Israel’s water supply. The Golan Heights supply 15\% of Israel’s water.

When did Israel occupy Golan Heights?

December 1981
The area was part of extreme southwestern Syria until 1967, when it came under Israeli military occupation, and in December 1981 Israel unilaterally annexed the part of the Golan it held.

What is the meaning of Golan?

Definitions of Golan. a fortified hilly area between southern Lebanon and southern Syria. synonyms: Golan Heights. example of: geographic area, geographic region, geographical area, geographical region. a demarcated area of the Earth.

What does bezer mean in Hebrew?

It was designated by Moses as a ‘city of refuge’, a “safe-haven” for Reubenites and others, to which any person guilty of manslaughter could flee to avoid being killed in vengeance.

Should Syria control the Golan Heights?

On the other hand, Syrian control over the Golan would provide it with strategic heights overlooking Israel. 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.

What happened on the Golan Heights in 1967?

While Israel was fighting in the Sinai and West Bank, Syrian artillery bombarded Israeli forces in the eastern Galilee, and armored units fired on villages in the Huleh Valley below the Golan Heights. On June 9, 1967, Israel moved against Syrian forces on the Golan. By late afternoon, June 10, Israel was in complete control of the plateau.

Where did the Druze settle in the Golan?

In the 15th and 16th centuries, Druze began to settle in the northern Golan and on the slopes of Mt. Hermon. During the brief period of Egyptian rule (1831-1840) and in the ensuing decades, Sudanese, Algerians, Turkomans and Samarian Arabs settled on the Heights.

What is the significance of the Golan?

The Golan – rising from 400 to 1700 feet in the western section bordering on pre-1967 Israel – overlooks the Huleh Valley, Israel’s richest agricultural area. In the hands of a friendly neighbor, the escarpment has little military importance.