Sea of Galilee and Golan Heights a strategic plateau that overlooks a swath of northern Israel.
The Golan Heights rise from 400 to 1700 feet in the north-eastern section of the country. Israel’s highest mountain, Mt. Hermon is located here. The plateau was once actively volcanic and the northernmost points remain weathered and desolate. The Golan overlooks the Hula Valley,one of Israel’s richest agricultural area.
The Golan is perhaps one of the most beautiful regions of this exquisite country.
The Golan Heights is arguably the most strategically important region in the country. It extends like a finger between the boarders of Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. This area has been crucial in the past in maintaining an effective defense system in Israel. Syria controlled this area from 1948-1967, but when the Six Day War began Israel gained control of the region.
Report: Olmert ready to cede Golan
JTA
Israel reportedly has agreed to withdraw from the Golan Heights as part of a peace deal with Syria.
Shams-Press, a semi-official Syrian news Web site, reported Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed in principle to a Turkish plan for renewed peace talks between Jerusalem and Syria.
The negotiations, according to Shams-Press, would be predicated on Israel’s willingness to return the Golan to Syria.
Olmert’s office declined comment on the report, which caused an uproar in the right-wing opposition and among some members of the Israeli coalition government.
Olmert has voiced willingness to restart talks with Syria that stalled in 2000, but on the condition that Damascus first disengage from Palestinian terrorist groups, Lebanese Hezbollah and Iran.
Syrian President Bashar Assad has conditioned new negotiations on Olmert accepting his bedrock demand for a full return of the Golan, which Israel captured in the 1967 Six-Day War.
And this has more information:
Israel and Syria Hint at Progress on Golan Heights Deal
NYT
JERUSALEM — Peace overtures between Israel and Syria moved up a gear on Wednesday when a Syrian cabinet minister said that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel had sent a message to President Bashar al-Assad to the effect that Israel would be willing to withdraw from all the Golan Heights in return for peace with Syria.
The Syrian expatriate affairs minister, Buthaina Shaaban, told Al Jazeera television, “Olmert is ready for peace with Syria on the grounds of international conditions; on the grounds of the return of the Golan Heights in full to Syria.” She said that Turkey had conveyed the message.
Israeli officials did not deny the statement from Damascus but would not confirm it either, offering a more general, positive reaction. “Israel wants peace with Syria; we are interested in a negotiated process,” said Mark Regev, a spokesman for Mr. Olmert. “The Syrians know well our expectations, and we know well their expectations.”
Earlier on Wednesday, the Damascus newspaper Al Watan reported that the Israeli offer was relayed to Mr. Assad by the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, by telephone on Tuesday. Mr. Olmert had told Mr. Erdogan that “Israel was ready to withdraw completely from the Golan in exchange for peace with Syria,” Al Watan reported.
Withdrawal from the Golan Heights is a contentious issue in Israel. The territory is a strategic plateau that overlooks a large swath of northern Israel. Israel has objected to past Syrian demands for access to the shore of the Sea of Galilee, a main water source for Israel.
After visiting Damascus this week, former President Jimmy Carter said that there were only a few details left to work out on a full peace treaty between Israel and Syria, but that the Bush administration was discouraging Israel from proceeding because of other American concerns about Syria, especially related to Iraq.
Wild Thing’s comment…….
Olmert just doesn’t learn. Golan Heights was a good place for terrorists to launch missile attacks against Israel, because prior to Israel’s winning the area in 1967, terrorists did exactly that. A lot of Jewish blood was spilled to capture the Golan.
Also Golan Heights provides or controls a substantial portion of the water in the Jordan River watershed, which in turn provides a portion of Israel’s water supply. The Golan Heights are the source of about 15% of Israel’s water supply.
You can see just about all of Israel from there.. whoever controls the heights controls Israel…..
This is insane!
Mossad and IAF #69, get …x SYRIAOUS x… !
Progress with the ‘Gaza Strippers’ in burkas too,
eh Ramadan Rosie?
You know, I just don’t understand why they all can’t live in and use the Golan Heights together. We had to learn to live together, and we have a lot more of a melting pot than they do.
It’s called being human to one another, even if they are another religion or skin color.
The pictures are breathtaking.
It’s time to stop the “He who controls the spice, controls the universe.” Dune attitude.
Unbelievable. Did Israel not learn from the recent Gaza giveaway? Are Olmert and his faction masochists? The Israelis paid a bloody price in ’67 for the heights. Strategically and tactically, Golan is like a dagger in the heart of Israel.
Despite the despicable Carter, I am glad the Bush Administration is not going along with this idea. Israel needs a major change of government immediately.
Ehud Olmert is the Barack Hussein Obama of Israel.
Lynn, there is no way to live together with Syria or other terrorist regimes when they repeatedly call for your destruction by word and deeds. How much clearer can their objectives be?
As far as us living together, that is no longer true. We used to be a melting pot of Americans with common values but are now many boiling diversity pots of hyphenated Americans with different values which are destroying the country from within.
Thanks Les, that is absolutely true.
Ohmert sits by while the Norks build a nuke plant in Syria that had to be taken out by the IDF, yet he still naively endangers his nation by making deals with them. Without the IDF Israel wouldn’t exist and the howling hoard would be at our throats too.
In my short 40 years of total awareness of the Muzzies there is only two modes for them, either at your throat or at your feet, there is no inbetween. It’s up to each American to decide where they stand.
When are the Israeli’s going to fire Ohlmert this guy is a appeasement dork. The Israeli give in and in a week the f’n Arabs want more.
They won this land fair and square, which is more that can be said about their enemies.
About time for Ohlmert grow a pair too.
drstrangeloveb52isok….ditto all of that.
Darth, lol yes there will be strippers and they will be the terrorists stripping the land of it’s beautty just like they always have done. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR can’t we all just bomb them to allah kingdom down under the earth someplace.
Lynn, it would be nice but it won’t happen. They want every Jew and Christian dead and especially Israel to be theirs then and only then they will recognize Israel. It is so horrible how they are.
God told the Jews long ago to destroy the children of Ishmalle ( spelling) and like Linda has told me the Jews celebrate life not death and they would not do it. God even gave them permission.
I wish I had been a Jew just for a few months back in the Bible days I would have done it for my wonderful Jewish friends so they wouldn’t have to. haha I mean it. I bet I could have…..somehow.
Tom, whew I sure hope Bush stays strong about Syria, This is just shocking to me what they are thinking of doing.
Les,…”Ehud Olmert is the Barack Hussein Obama of Israel”….he sure is!!!
Jack……
“In my short 40 years of total awareness of the Muzzies there is only two modes for them, either at your throat or at your feet, there is no inbetween”
That is what it comes down too, your right.
Mark, I agree I wish he would, I wish the Israeli’s could vote this Olmert off the planet. He has been horrible for Israel. And now if he ignores what Bush says about not doing this with Syria it could make trouble for our troops too.