naturalfeature:mount hermon

The Golan Heights first

Trump gave Syria and its allies a renewed pretext for possible military action
Haaretz Editorial
Mar 24, 2019

▻https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/editorial/the-golan-heights-first-1.7046251

https://www.haaretz.com/polopoly_fs/1.7044647.1553202958!/image/1209353108.jpg_gen/derivatives/headline_1200x630/1209353108.jpg

U.S. President Donald Trump’s statement that “it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights” received an enthusiastic welcome in Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who got a shot in the arm from Trump at a low point in his election campaign, welcomed this “Purim miracle.” His rival Benny Gantz, whose party’s leading lights helped push for American recognition of the Golan’s annexation, said in a statement that Trump was cementing his place in history as a true friend of Israel.

That Netanyahu and Gantz were both delighted is no surprise; the annexation of the Golan and the settlements established there enjoy widespread support in Israel. Since the Yom Kippur War of 1973, Syria has refrained from any attempt to recover the Golan by force, preferring to maintain the quiet and conduct peace talks that achieved nothing. The Druze residents of the northern Golan have also accepted Israeli rule without rebelling.

The settlements on the Golan were established by the Labor Party, rather than the messianic Gush Emunim movement that settled the West Bank, and the Israelis who live there are termed “residents” rather than “settlers.” The beautiful vistas, the empty spaces and the snow on Mount Hermon are especially beloved by Israeli tourists.

>> Read more: Trump’s Golan tweet brings U.S. to Syria through the back door | Analysis ■ Trump’s declaration: What does it mean and what happens now | Explained ■ How Secret Netanyahu-Assad backchannel gave way to Israeli demand for recognition of Golan sovereignty

Nevertheless, despite the quiet and the internal consensus that sees the Golan as an inseparable part of Israel, this is occupied territory that Israel retains in violation of both international law and the principle at the basis of United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 — that the acquisition of territory by war is unacceptable. Israel accepted this principle, and six prime ministers, including Netanyahu, have held talks with the Syrians on returning the Golan in exchange for peace.

The most recent talks were cut short by the outbreak of Syria’s civil war eight years ago, and the implosion on the other side of the border spurred appetites here for perpetuating the occupation with U.S. backing. During President Barack Obama’s tenure, that idea seemed hopeless. But Trump, no great fan of international laws and agreements, acceded happily to the Israeli request.

Trump’s announcement and the applause that greeted it in Jerusalem send the troubling message that Israel is no longer interested in a peace agreement. It’s true that Syria, having fallen apart, is now weak and will settle for diplomatic censure, and in any case the chance of resuming negotiations in the north is near zero. But Trump gave Syria and its allies a renewed pretext for possible military action.
Stay up to date: Sign up to our newsletter
Email*

In the near term, the U.S. green light to annexing the Golan will deepen the Israeli delusion that U.S. approval is sufficient to revise the world map and contribute to erasing the 1967 lines as the relevant reference points for solving the Israeli-Arab conflict. The U.S. recognition will inevitably increase pressure from the right to annex Area C of the West Bank (which is under full Israeli control), intensifying the occupation and the bloody conflict with the Palestinians.

UN sees spike in meetings between Israeli army, Syrian rebels, warns of escalation -

Israel says the meetings are held for humanitarian purposes, but the UN warns they could trigger clashes between rebels and the Syrian army

Barak Ravid Jun 19, 2017
read more: ▻http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.796536

During the last seven months, the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force has noted a significant escalation in contact and interactions between Israeli armed forces and rebel organizations along Israel’s border with Syria, chiefly in the area of Mt. Hermon, says a report released in recent days by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to the members of the UN Security Council.
The report expressed Guterres’ concern, for the first time, that the interactions between the Israelis and the rebel organizations could lead to escalation, causing harm to UN observers.
Published on June 8, the United Nations report describes the activity of the UN observers from March 2 to May 16. Every few days during that time, they observed meetings and contacts between the Israel Defense Forces and the rebels in the area of the border, including by the Hermon. Altogether they listed at least 16 such meetings in that time.
The meetings took place in proximity to UN outposts in the Mt. Hermon area, in the area of Quneitra and in the central Golan Heights, near moshav Yonatan.
“Relative to the previous reporting period, there has been a significant increase in interaction between Israel Defense Forces soldiers and individuals from the Bravo side, occurring on four occasions in February, three in March, eight in April and on one occasion in May,” the report stated, referring to the Syrian side of the border.

Members of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) ride armored personnel carriers (APCs) in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights before crossing into Syria, August 31, 2014.Reuters
Keep updated: Sign up to our newsletter
Email* Sign up

That increase in the number of interactions between Israeli soldiers and representatives of the rebels continues a trend evident in the previous report, which had been published on March 17. That report covered the period between November 18, 2016, and March 1, 2017, and listed at least 17 interactions along the Golan border, including in the vicinity of the Hermon.

Leonardo DiCaprio convinces Mexico to help save porpoises
Sponsored By Connatix
Leonardo DiCaprio is out to save the environment, one species at a time if he has to, and his efforts have now convinced the ...
According to both reports, UN observers saw 33 interactions between Israeli and rebel representatives over the last seven months.
In comparison, only two such meetings took place from August 30 to November 16 of last year according to UN reports, and they were only by the border, not by the Hermon.
One topic addressed in the latest report was meetings that took place in the area of the Hermon in the last three months. It stated that all such meetings happened in the vicinity of one of the IDF outposts there and all followed the same pattern: Unidentified people apparently affiliated with the rebel organizations, some of them armed, arrived at the IDF outpost accompanied by mules, and were greeted by the soldiers.
“In some instances, personnel and supplies were observed to have been transferred in both directions. On all occasions, the unknown individuals and mules returned to the Bravo side,” the report stated.
The UN secretary general clarified in the report that the nature of the interactions could not be observed.
“The Israel Defense Forces have stated that the interactions were of a humanitarian and medical nature,” the report said.
Israel contends that all the interactions with rebel representatives on the Syrian side were for humanitarian reasons, but in recent months the UN has started to view these interactions askance and began to warn they could lead to escalation. The report especially noted concern about the meetings around the Hermon, which the UN secretary-general defined as an area of strategic importance.
“Interaction between the Israel Defense Forces and unidentified individuals from the Bravo side, including in the area of Mount Hermon, has the potential to lead to clashes between armed elements and the Syrian Arab Armed Forces. I reiterate my call to both parties to the Disengagement of Forces Agreement regarding the requirement to maintain stability in the area. All military activities in the area of separation conducted by any actor pose a risk to the ceasefire and to the local civilian population, in addition to the United Nations personnel on the ground,” the secretary-general wrote in the report.
The UN secretary-general’s latest report on the activities of the UN observers on the Golan Heights, as well as the three preceding reports, criticized the Syrian army for bringing heavy weapons to the area of the border, violating the disengagement agreement. The UN also criticized Israel for the same thing.
According to the last four reports, in the last year the IDF has kept one or two batteries of the Iron Dome system in the Golan, and also holds heavy 155mm cannons and rocket launchers in the area, in violation of the disengagement agreement with Syria. UNDOF has protested the violations to both sides.
On Sunday, The Wall Street Journal reported Israel has been secretly providing aid to Syrian rebels in the Golan Heights for years, with the goal of maintaining a buffer zone of friendly forces to keep ISIS and forces aligned with Iran at bay.

Israeli MK : IDF helping #al-Qaida in Syria at expense of Druse
▻http://m.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Israeli-MK-IDF-helping-al-Qaida-in-Syria-at-expense-of-Druse-467518

Kulanu MK Akram Hasson issued a harsh rebuke of the IDF on Monday, saying that not only is the army not helping the Druse population caught up in Syria’s civil war, it is cooperating with the Nusra Front, al-Qaida’s Syrian affiliate.

Hasson’s comments in an interview with Channel 2 came amid fierce battles in recent days near the Druse village of Khader in the Syrian #Golan Heights.

Hasson accused #Israel of being responsible for harm being caused to the Druse population of the Syrian Golan. “The IDF is shelling Syrian army positions, which is enabling the Nusra Front to seize Druse land.”

The Kulanu MK further charged that “it is no secret that the IDF is cooperating with [the Nusra Front]. In the past they have told us that the Nusra Front coordinates with the IDF. We don’t know? What, were we born yesterday?”

Hasson claimed that under former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon there was an agreement in place by which it was understood that nobody would enter the Druse village, and in exchange the local Druse would not interfere with the fighting in the area.

“Today, after they took control of the most strategic positions and after the Syrian army left the area, they blocked the access road to Damascus, and isolated Khader from the rest of Syria, and they are slaughtering people,” he added.

Hasson’s comments came a day after some 200 Israeli Druse held a demonstration in Majd al-Shams, calling on Israel to help their Syrian brethren.

The village of Khader, which is right across from Majd al-Shams, on the other side of Mount Hermon, is home to some 25,000 Druse.

The Nusra Front has sought to control Khader for some time in order to gain control of the entire Golan Heights. The al-Qaida-linked fighters number several hundred men as well as dozens of tanks that they have seized.

During fierce fighting near Khader last year, and fear for the Druse community, the IDF sent messages to the Nusra Front through the Free Syrian Army, warning the Islamist group not to harm Syria’s Druse.

#druzes

Mount Hermon battles highlight divide among Druze communities | Al Akhbar English
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/mount-hermon-battles-highlight-divide-among-druze-communities

According to Syrian military forces, al-Nusra Front is attempting to link the borders with the occupied Golan Heights to Damascus’ western countryside and Khan al-Sheikh, in order to circumvent the Damascus-Quneitra road after failing to take Qatna and Saasaa. According to security sources, “the militants have brought reinforcement for this purpose from Jubata al-Khashab through Beit Jinn, but the army foiled them in collaboration with the Popular Committees and the NDF.”

While anger and sorrow have been the predominant reaction of the Druze community in Syria, the repercussions of what happened will no doubt leave a deep mark on nearby Lebanese and Palestinian villages. The events in Mount Hermon served to cement the positions of the rival Druze parties in Lebanon who are at odds over the Syrian crisis, and highlighted the sharp disparity in the Druze street on this issue.

Jeu des sept erreurs : ces deux articles sont arrivés exactement au même moment ; essaie de détecter les subtiles différences de rédaction…

Daily Star : Lebanon Army bars 11 wounded Syrian rebels from entering
▻http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2014/Nov-07/276824-wounded-syrians-not-allowed-into-lebanon-nna.ashx

The Lebanese Army Friday prevented 11 wounded Syrian rebels from entering the country through the southern Mount Hermon border region where heavy clashes had taken place between pro- and anti-Syrian government fighters.

Security sources told The Daily Star that Syrian opposition fighters tried to carry 11 of their wounded from Mount Hermon in Syria to the Lebanese village of Shebaa, but Lebanese soldiers positioned there prevented them from entering.

Al-Akhbar : Lebanon army bars wounded Nusra militants from entering country
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/lebanon-army-bars-wounded-nusra-militants-entering-country

The Lebanese army Friday prevented 11 wounded militants belonging to Syria’s al-Qaeda branch al-Nusra Front group from entering the country through the southern Mount Hermon border region to seek medical treatment, state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported Friday.

Nusra militants tried to carry 11 of their wounded from Mount Hermon in Syria to the Lebanese village of Shebaa, but Lebanese soldiers in the area pushed them back to the Syrian territories.

(Évidemment, l’apparente neutralité de la dépêche façon Daily Star me semble bien plus engagée – et trompeuse – que la version du Akhbar.)

Sweida Sheikhs in Lebanon: Putting the house in order | Al Akhbar English
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/sweida-sheikhs-lebanon-putting-house-order

In Hasbaya in Lebanon, supporters of the Yazbaki wing decided to create Popular Defense Forces, in coordination and cooperation with Hezbollah and the Lebanese Resistance Brigades, in order to “protect Taym valley and prevent Israel and the takfiri groups from striking the Resistance through Mount Hermon in any future confrontation.”

Syria’s Druze reject autonomous statelet despite growing ISIS threats - The Syrian Observer
▻http://syrianobserver.com/Features/Features/Syrias+Druze+reject+autonomous+statelet+despite+growing+ISIS+threats

On Tuesday June 17, Sheikh Mouwafak Badrieh, also known as Abu Anad, a native of Hadr village in Mount Hermon, was killed in car bomb near Makroussa on al-Salam highway which links Quneitra to Damascus.

According to security sources, “initial information suggests that the blast was due to an explosive device planted in the car of martyr Badrieh by Mossad agents in the region, because of his role in the resistance against the Israeli enemy.”

Speaking to Al-Akhbar, local sources in Mount Hermon linked Badrieh’s assassination to “the launch of several rockets targeting the Israeli Mont Hermon observation post last March” even though Israel had already held the Syrian army and Hezbollah responsible for the attack.

While Syrian army and Hezbollah sources maintain silence about the recent resistance operations in Mount Hermon, local sources told Al-Akhbar “martyr Badrieh was part of a military formation deployed in Quneitra with a mission to damage Israeli interests in the Syrian occupied Golan.”

No room for doubt: Assad behind unrest in north
| Haaretz By Amos Harel | Mar. 19, 2014
▻http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.580635

After four violent incidents on the borders with Syria and Lebanon since the beginning of the month, it is no longer an exaggeration to speak of a resurgent northern front. The wounding of four paratroopers on the Golan on Tuesday was preceded by rockets on Mount Hermon from Syrian territory, the planting of an explosive device on the Golan (which was neutralized) and the explosion of another device aimed at an Israel Defense Forces convoy on Mount Dov last Friday. There has been no such series of events in the north since the Second Lebanon War in 2006. The pace is starting to resemble the days when the IDF maintained the security zone in southern Lebanon in the 1980s and 1990s.

If the current escalation continues, Israel is liable to be drawn into a more forceful response. On Tuesday the IDF made do with artillery fire into Syrian territory, near the area in which the incident occurred. But the IDF has a lot more leeway to act, and it’s possible that it will have to set a higher price tag for attacks from the Syrian border.

Until recently, shooting from Syria territory into Israel was regarded as unintentional misfire from the gun battles between the Assad regime’s army and the rebel forces that are part of the Syrian civil war. But the background to this latest string of events is quite different. The three incidents on the Syrian border took place in regions that are controlled by the Assad regime, or in the Druze enclaves on the slopes of Mount Hermon, where forces loyal to Assad are stationed. The fourth incident, from the Lebanese border on Mount Dov, occurred in an area where Hezbollah is active.

Even if the exact identity of those responsible for these attacks is not clear, what is clear is that these incidents are no coincidence. The Assad camp – the regime, Hezbollah, and militias identified with Syrian President Bashar Assad – are responsible for a series of attacks that were aimed at Israel.

There is no difficulty identifying what sparked this latest wave; it was the attack, attributed to the Israel Air Force, on February 24, which hit a weapons convoy in Lebanon, not on the Syrian side of the border. While this was a deviation of only a few hundred meters, probably out of operational considerations (such as a better chance of hitting the target), it has generated a different response from the other side. When the attacks attributed to Israel occurred in Syria, Assad generally chose to respond with restraint. But Hezbollah is a different story. Only a short time after the organization threatened to respond, the series of attacks began.

It could be that Hezbollah general secretary Hassan Nasrallah sees himself as obligated not to leave any Israeli attack unanswered. But there could be another explanation: The relative success of the Assad-Hezbollah camp in blocking the rebel groups’ progress and the removal of an immediate threat to the regime in Damascus may have boosted both parties’ self-confidence.