Politics Israel approves investment plan for occupied Golan Heights
The Israeli government has approved a plan to invest the equivalent of more than ten million euros in the occupied Golan Heights. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan aims to double the population there, his office announced. Currently, more than 50,000 people live on the rocky plateau, just over half of them Jewish Israelis and the rest Druze and Alawites.
15.12.2024, 16:34
SDA
The background to the decision was the war and the "new front" with Syria, according to the statement.
Following the uprising in Syria, Israel had deployed troops to areas beyond the ceasefire line on the Golan Heights. These troops moved into a so-called buffer zone, which is under UN supervision in accordance with the ceasefire agreement of 1974.
Netanyahu said during the government meeting: "Strengthening the Golan means strengthening Israel, and it is particularly important at this time." The plateau would be "held on to, made to flourish and settled".
The Golan Heights are a strategically important rocky plateau, around 60 kilometers long and 25 kilometers wide. It was conquered by Israel in 1967 and annexed in 1981. However, this was not recognized internationally. According to international law, the areas are considered to be Syrian territory occupied by Israel. Former and future US President Donald Trump formally recognized the Golan Heights as Israeli territory in March 2019, marking a U-turn in US foreign policy.
