Golan Heights

Guide Note

The Golan Heights is a territory that borders Israel, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. The area was seized from Syria by Israel during the Six Day War and again during the Yom Kippur War. United Nations resolution 242 defines the area as part of the Israel occupied territories, though this is contested by Syria.

Israel is reluctant to return the Golan Heights due to its strategic importance in forming a border against Syria, and also for its value as a source of water and farmland. It is also home to Israel's only ski resort. Recently, the area has emerged as a prospective site for large-scale wind farms.

One of the most contentious pieces of land in the world, Syria has demanded that the Golan Heights be returned as a condition of any peace deal it will consider. Ultimately, Syria wants a return to the pre-1967 Border, the line established by the 1949 armistice agreement following the 1948 Arab Israeli War. This could, potentially, give Syria control of the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, Israel's primary source of fresh water.

On April 23, 2008 it was announced that Israel made an official comment saying it would consider returning the Golan Heights and recognize the pre-1967 Borders in exchange for peace with Syria. The announcement came as a part of peace talks between the two countries, mediated by Turkey. No firm deal was established but the statement has been widely viewed as a positive step towards a durable peace plan.

Fast Facts

1. Territory in northern Israel
2. Total population: 38,900 (2005)
3. About 19,300 Druze, 16,500 Jews, and 2,100 Muslims
4. Encompasses about 695 square kilometers
5. Disputed area about 463 square kilometers
6. Borders Israel, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan
7. Seized from Syria by Israel during the Six Days War and Yom Kippur War
8. Area provides one third of Israel's fresh water
9. The majority of Druze in the Golan Heights maintain their Syrian citizenship

1. Syria claims the territory as its own
2. Israel cites United Nations resolution 242 as justification of its occupation
3. Israel has occupied the area longer than Syria controlled it after independence
4. Lebanon claims control of the Shebaa Farms
5. Significant strategic importance for defending the Syria-Israel border
6. Provides a large amount of fresh water
7. Land of high agricultural value