Israeli troops occupied the highest point of Mount Hermon, part of it Golan Heights on Syrian territory, on December 8, 2024. Crucially, this area lies within the buffer zone designated by the United Nations. The Golan Heights were captured by Israel from Syria during the war Six Day War in 1967 and both have been in confrontation since Israel’s founding in 1948. While Israel’s occupation of Palestine falls under a classic settler-colonial project, its actions in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights are a mix of territorial ambitions, security concerns and ideological motives.
In the Golan Heights, Israel is implementing its strategic objectives, which include securing vital land and resources while asserting its dominance in the area marked by complex geopolitical rivalries.
Roots of the conflict between Israel and Syria
The founding of the State of Israel is the most critical moment in the history of the Middle East, as it emerged from a long period of time Zionist movementwho began to search for and create a Jewish homeland on Arab-Palestinian land. Zionism is the answer to the centuries of persecution that Jews faced, particularly in Europe in the late 19th century. The movement got a boost after that 1917 Balfour Declaration when Britain declared its support for the creation of one Jewish home in Palestine. With the end of World War II and the Holocaust, world leaders pushed for the creation of a Jewish state, which manifested itself in the form of the United Nations Partition Plan in 1947.
Source: Reuters
The proposal sought to divide Palestine under British rule into separate Jewish and Arab governments. However, he was rejected by the Arab population, which led to resistance among the locals. After Israel’s declaration of independence by David Ben-Gurion on May 14, 1948, neighboring Arab governments invaded Israel because they feared that the establishment of a Jewish state would lead to the expulsion of the Arab population from Palestine. This assumption turned out to be correct, because after the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, Israel’s borders were established and thousands of Palestinians were displaced. In the later decades the Zionist plan continued to brew and was completely exposed after the 1960s.
Israel captured important territories such as the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. These land acquisitions were victories for Israel that met its security concerns but were viewed by Arab nations and Palestinians as a violation of their sovereignty. The Golan Heights, a rocky plateau, became the center of the Israeli-Syrian conflict because this strategic area about 40 miles southwest of Damascus gave Israel an advantage in monitoring Syrian movements.
Colonial practices in occupied territories
Israel’s colonial agenda in Palestine and Syria shows how it maintains its authority and control over the conquered territories and restricts people’s rights and livelihoods. Through a multifaceted approach that reflects military control, territorial expansion, and resource extraction, indigenous peoples are intentionally marginalized.
Source: AFP
Scientists like Geva (2019) highlight how the Israeli government promotes settlement construction in the West Bank and Golan Heights using legal protections, financial incentives and infrastructure development. Inspired by a settler-colonial approach, this strategy displaces local populations and disrupts historical and cultural connections to the land.
Mason and Dayani particularly draw greater attention to the strategic goal of these colonies, which prioritizes the establishment of a permanent Jewish presence over the rights of the indigenous people. Falah and others point out that the use of checkpoints, surveillance and armed patrols drastically restricts mobility and daily life, undermining local governance and creating an environment of fear. Giacaman and Johnson characterize this experience as one of triple captivity, with Palestinians trapped under colonial control, widespread military presence, and the fractured political terrain that has developed since the Oslo Accords. Lenṭin shows how surveillance extends into the digital sphere, driving control beyond physical domination under the guise of security. The exploitation of resources exacerbates the suffering of the local people.
According to Israel’s hydrohegemonic system Lautze et al. And Seebergdiverts water resources from Palestinian aquifers into settlements, depriving the population of vital goods for everyday life and agriculture. This control over water exacerbates financial insecurity and drives many farmers to abandon their fields. Taken together, these measures expose an occupation aimed at maintaining Zionist control at the expense of local rights, livelihoods and autonomy.
Israel’s occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights
Since the Six-Day War in 1967, the Golan Heights in southwestern Syria have been under Israeli occupation following confrontation with neighboring Arab states. It covers approximately 1,860 square kilometers, which represents only 1 percent of Syria’s landmass but is of enormous strategic and resource importance. Israel retained military control of the region after the war and individually annexed the region in 1981 through the Golan Heights Act, expanding its domestic jurisdiction and administration. This unilateral move was condemned all over the world and the The UN Security Council passed Resolution 497arguing that the move was “null and void” under international law.
Golan Heights/ Source: Sergio Formoso/Getty
The Hague Regulations and the Fourth Geneva Conventionprohibit the confiscation and transfer of civilians to occupied territories violated by annexation by Israel. In addition, over 130,000 Syrians were displaced, their villages and farms destroyed and replaced by more than 30 Israeli settlements. For Israel, the Golan Heights offers critically important military, topographical and resource advantages. Mount Hermon’s 2,814-meter elevation makes the Golan Heights a plateau that offers impressive views to keep an eye on Syrian activity, particularly its proximity to Damascus, 60 km away. Economically, the Golan Heights is crucial due to its rich water resources, which, under the control of the Jordan River and particularly its tributaries, provide up to 50 percent of Israel’s freshwater supply. These waters are essential for both domestic needs and agricultural irrigation.
The occupation of the Golan Heights has negatively impacted Syria’s sovereignty and post-civil war reconstruction. Over 130,000 Syrians were displaced, 340 villages and much farmland were destroyed, depriving local people of their livelihoods and cultural heritage. Israel’s establishment of colonies and systematic exploitation of the region’s natural resources have deprived Syria of important resources that would contribute to social and economic rehabilitation.
Israel’s involvement in Syria
The Syrian civil war was sparked by protests in Deraa after youths were arrested and tortured over anti-Assad graffiti in 2011. The government’s aggressive response made people fearful and restless, which eventually erupted in the form of an all-out civil war until 2012; Important cities are under siege and extremist organizations like ISIS are gaining a foothold. The involvement of international actors such as Russia, Iran, the United States and Turkey further complicated the conflict. By 2018, Bashar Hafez al-Assad had regained control, but the fighting had stopped. A delayed opposition attack in 2024 led to Assad’s exile, as well as the fall of major cities and the end of the conflict, heralding a possible new beginning for Syria.
Israel’s involvement in the war was prompted by the need to counter Iran’s increasing influence in the region. Israel’s experience in Lebanon has contributed in part to Israel’s reluctance to engage more fully in Syria, limiting its ability to influence Syria’s post-war trajectory. However, as Syria recovers from civil war, Israel is concerned about Hezbollah’s ideological fixation on the country and the resurgence of groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) near Israel’s borders. Although the fall of the Assad government could reduce Iran’s influence, it could also lead to the emergence of new extremist organizations, further endangering Israel’s security. Israel’s involvement in Syria thus presents a complicated, double-edged conundrum that undermines the influence of Iran and Hezbollah while posing the risk of new security challenges from hostile groups on the northern border.
Israel’s control of Palestinian and Syrian lands, including the Golan Heights, is a clear violation of international law, as made clear in many UN resolutions as well as the Fourth Geneva Convention. Although Israel’s armed dominance, resource exploitation and population growth are criticized by many, its colonialism continues.
The international community, particularly the United States, has failed to hold Israel accountable for its actions in the occupied territories, thereby perpetuating the vicious cycle of impunity. This vicious cycle of violence and occupation highlights the urgent need for respect for international law and peaceful negotiations to resolve the problem and protect the rights of indigenous people in Syria and Palestine.
