Golan Heights

Plateau on the Syrian border with Israel, bitterly contested in the Arab-Israeli Wars due to its strategic importance. Having been used by Syria to bombard Israeli settlements in the valley below, the Golan Heights were captured by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. Nearly all of the Syrian population of 148,000 were expelled. Israel withdrew from 30% of the area in 1974. Despite opposition from the United Nations, Israeli ‘law, jurisdiction, and administration’ were extended to the territory in 1981. Syrian-Israeli peace talks have focused on the territory. In talks held in 1999-2000, Syria called for a full Israeli withdrawal, but Israel sought to link the issue with the activities in Lebanon of Hezbollah guerrillas, whom Israel wanted Syria to disarm.

By 1998 the Golan Heights had a population of 33,000, including 14,000 Jews and 16,000 Druze. It has remained a predominantly agricultural area.