This small patch of land, seized by Israel in 1967, is of huge strategic importance
THE GOLAN HEIGHTS, a sloping plateau wedged between Israel, Syria and Jordan, is smaller than Luxembourg . But it is prime real estate. The most important tributary of the Jordan River, the Banias, originates there. Its tallest points, on Mount Hermon, offer sweeping views all the way to Damascus in the east. And its eastern hills serve as a formidable buffer to military forces.
Though the Golan has political, economic and symbolic importance, its strategic value is paramount. That stems largely from its geography. In the 1950s and 1960s, Israel and Syria sparred over water sources and Israeli cultivation of demilitarised areas near the Golan. Syria sometimes shelled Israeli farms and villages in the Galilee below.
Israeli commanders view the Golan not only as a shield, but also as a potential springboard. The plateau is just 60km away from Damascus, Syria’s capital. The peaks around Mount Hermon, control of which is split between Israel, Syria and Lebanon, are ideal vantage points for monitoring military activity and hoovering up intelligence.
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