Recall that the Heights were part of
the original 1920 Mandate of Palestine until
Britain
and
France
did some imperial trading, and that the territory changed hands often
throughout the centuries. It was not exclusively Arab, and Jews too had a long
history there.
Recall also how
Syria
used the Heights to rain terror on Israelis below prior to the 1967 War--which
it also largely instigated.
And, lastly, also remember that
Israel
offered to return all of the territories right after that war in return for
peace treaties and was offered the "3 Nos of Khartoum" in
response. It got attacked on Yom Kippur from those Heights again in
1973--Arab tanks rolling towards
Israel
proper. The Jew of the Nations came close to being destroyed
that year.
Syria
has now built up its own massive arsenal of missiles, chemical weapons,
and such.
Not long ago, an Israeli Prime
Minister offered, again, an almost complete return of the Heights.
The exception would cover a tiny stretch of land protecting
Israel
's water sources. But that was, of course, too much to ask of Arabs
who--after all--are so understanding of their own national competitors' needs.
I'm sure, for example, that if the situation was reversed, and it was
Israel
who repeatedly attacked
Syria
and lost territory as a result of its aggression, that
Syria
would make a similar offer to the Jews.
Of course...and I'm also the
Passover Bunny.
Right now
Israel
controls the passes Syrian tanks would use to roll down hill to kill Jews.
Right now Israeli artillery can send Baby Assad and friends a calling card right
from the Heights. Right now Syrian artillery and gunners can't do this anymore
to Jews. Right now Israelis are assured that an enemy sworn to its death will
not be in control of its water supply.
And, also right now,
America
must finally rid itself of the Arabist State Department practice of
constantly twisting the arm of its beleaguered friend to make suicidal
concessions to such deadly and obnoxious adversaries, all of whom refuse to
recognize the rights of anyone but themselves in the region. Like the Arabs, the
Foggy Folks joined in the rejection of the right of
Israel
to even exist in 1948...for a number of reasons, blatant anti-Semitism
included.
As with the disputed territories of
Judea and
Samaria
, a territorial compromise--which meets the needs of both parties to
the conflict--must be reached on the Golan as well. And if the Syrians don't
like it, let them understand that there is a price to be paid for their repeated
deadly aggression.
Think of all the territories that
have exchanged hands because of wars.
America
holds many territories itself because of this...not to mention
Europe
and other places as well.
The national security requirements of
the tiny sliver that is Israel on the world map need to be taken no less
seriously...especially since, unlike the super power, three thousand
mile-wide America ( largely protected by vast oceans and with
fairly reasonable neighbors) and others whose demands often extend
hundreds--if not thousands--of miles away from home, those of the Jew of the
Nations involve what's going on right on its very own doorstep and in its
backyard.
