Post by Salem6 on Apr 23, 2007 9:18:55 GMT
Source: The Jerusalem Post
April 17, 2007
The Syrian regime has threatened to use violence against Israel unless Jerusalem agrees to give up the Golan Heights.
Israel has a biblical and historical claim to the Golan.
Apart from being part of the land given to the Israelites by God and conquered by Joshua, the Heights were also included in the territory promised Israel by the League of Nations for a Jewish national homeland.
Britain gave the Golan to the French, who had been awarded the mandate to establish independent states in the lands that are today Syria and the Lebanon.
Syria held the heights for a mere 19 years, during which time it used them as a platform from which to repeatedly launch attacks against Israel.
In 1967 Israel drove the Syrians from the hills and subsequently extended sovereignty over them.
They have now been under Israeli control for 40 years, more than twice the length of time they were occupied by Syria.
Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal said Monday his country wished to "revive the peace process [sic] with Israel."
He foowed that statement up with a threat:
"If Israel rejects the Arab peace [sic] initiative, the only way to get the Golan Heights back would be the way of resistance."
Syria has been planning to launch a Hizb'allah-style war since last summer, when it witnessed how hard a blow the small terrorist group could inflict upon Israel.
www.jnewswire.com/article/1911