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“I want a Jewish state that operates according to the values of the Jewish people. It is written that the future of Jerusalem is to expand as far as Damascus. Only Jerusalem, as far as Damascus.”
These words were spoken by Israel’s radical Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, in the documentary Israel: Extremists in Power, which was broadcast by the French television channel ARTE TV in September 2024. Expressing the concept of the Promised Land, an indispensable element of the Israeli archetype, the minister underscored the significance of Damascus while emphasizing the intention of the homeless children of the prophets to exist within the promised lands between the Euphrates and the Nile.
The Importance of the Golan Heights for Israel
In Syria, following the intensification of clashes on November 27, 2024, the last heir of the Ba’ath regime, Bashar al-Assad, was overthrown on December 8. Simultaneously with the collapse of the 61-year-old regime, the Israeli army entered the buffer zone around the Golan Heights, advancing its occupation to within 25 kilometers of Damascus. Ordering the Israel Defense Forces to take control of the region, Netanyahu outlined Israel’s military objectives in Syria as follows:
- To completely seize the buffer zone of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) and establish control there,
- Expanding this area to ensure the removal of heavy weapons and infrastructure that pose a threat to Israel,
- Preventing Iran from smuggling weapons into Lebanon,
- Destroying Syria’s heavy strategic weapons, including its air and missile defense systems.
Rob G. Pinfold, a lecturer in International Peace and Security at Durham University, states that Israel’s strategy is focused on ensuring its security and expanding its influence in Syria. Indeed, Israel’s efforts to expand the buffer zone in the Golan Heights, in violation of international law, further underscore this reality.
The Golan Heights, which shares borders with Syria, Israel, Lebanon, and Jordan, represents a vital water source, a strategic point for national security, and a sacred region for Israel due to its emphasis in Jewish texts.
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