Posted on 12/14/2024 8:25:10 AM PST by MinorityRepublican
Israel wasted no time after Bashar al-Assad’s fall to bomb all the Syrian military assets it wanted to keep out of the rebels’ hands – striking nearly 500 targets, destroying the navy, and taking out, it claims, 90% of Syria’s known surface-to-air missiles.
But it is Israel’s capture of Syria’s highest peak, the Mount Hermon summit, that may prove among the most lasting prizes – though officials have insisted that its occupation is temporary.
“This is the highest place in the region, looking upon Lebanon, upon Syria, Israel,” said Efraim Inbar, director of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS). “It’s strategically extremely important. There is no substitute for mountains.”
The summit of Mount Hermon lies in Syria, in a buffer zone that separated Israeli and Syrian forces for fifty years until last weekend, when Israeli troops took control of it. Until Sunday, the summit was demilitarized and patrolled by UN peacekeepers – their highest permanent position in the world.
Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, on Friday ordered the military to prepare for the harsh conditions of winter deployment. “Due to developments in Syria, it is of immense security importance to maintain our control over the summit of Mount Hermon,” he said in a statement.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has advanced beyond the summit, as far as Beqaasem, about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) from the Syrian capital, according to Voice of the Capital, a Syrian activist group. CNN could not independently confirm that claim. An Israeli military spokesperson this week denied that forces were “advancing toward” Damascus.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
The US and NATO continue to attack regime and ISIS targets as well.
Israelis have to ski too
Israel just got 30% larger. It will never leave
But then again, neither will Turkey, the USA, or Russia
Syria as a country no longer exists
Most likely, Turkey is going to expand their sphere of influence over Syria.
Israel might as well as continue to expand their buffer zone in Syria to protect their country against Erdoğan.
‘Protecting residents of the Golan’: IDF locates weapons and ammunition in Syria’s buffer zone
By Jerusalem Post Staff
December 13, 2024
The weapons discovery was made as Israeli forces were deployed at control points within the buffer zone and ensuring the safety of the civilians living in the Golan Heights.
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-833336
[snip] Hours before the IDF statement, Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered Israeli soldiers to prepare to remain on Mount Hermon throughout the winter, which overlooks the Syrian capital of Damascus. “Due to what is happening in Syria - there is enormous security importance to our holding on to the peak of Mount Hermon,” he said. [/snip]
I remember they ‘annexed’. the Golan Heights when Poland was going through their Solidarity protests and the whole world’s attention was focused there. Called a special session in the middle of the night. They know how to take advantage of a crisis just like the democrats. No if we just could ever learn.
Come to think of it we may not have to. With Trump coming up these things are falling in place on their own.
I saw a report that Erdogan just claimed Aleppo and Homs as new Turkish provinces
WIKI
2,814 m (9,232 ft)
Because of its height it captures a great deal of precipitation in a very dry area of the world.
Mount Hermon has seasonal winter and spring snow falls, which cover all three of its peaks for most of the year. Melt water from the snow-covered mountain’s western and southern bases seeps into the rock channels and pores, feeding springs at the base of the mountain, which form streams and rivers. These merge to become the Jordan River.
The springs, and the mountain itself, are much contested by the nations of the area for the use of the water. Mount Hermon is also called the “snowy mountain”, the “gray-haired mountain”, and the “mountain of snow”. It is also called “the eyes of the nation” in Israel because its elevation makes it Israel’s primary strategic early warning system.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Hermon
I believe it to be about 10 kilometers from the northeastern tip of Israel.
Biblical!
Mount Hermon was where The Watchers descended from the sky to breed with our earth women!
According to the Book of Enoch the 200 “fallen angels” landed on the top of Mount Hermon, a very sacred site, Israelis await their imminent return!
Its a sign .....the “drones”, a sign!
Its happening!
I assume there's an Arab population already living there.
Will Israel annex that 30% and grant citizenship to those Arabs? Or will Israel just take the land and -- do what? -- to those Arabs?
A lot of people don’t realize just how small Israel is. You can shell half the country with 155mm artillery from the Golan heights. Taking that mountain puts Israel in a strong position.
They won’t do what the stand would do if the positions were reversed .
Beqaasem looks on my Google Maps view to be about five kilometers ESE of Mount Hermon.
“Or will Israel just take the land and — do what? — to those Arabs?”
It’s not 1945 (far eastern Germany, now Poland) or 1948.
Since 1949(?), international law requires civilians and civilian government to be able to remain and function in occupied territory insomuch as practical.
We didn’t have to allow Iraqis in Fallujah to become US citizens.
We didn’t annex Iraq.
“those Arabs”
probably have the greatest safety of Arabs in Syria.
“Will Israel annex that 30% and grant citizenship to those Arabs? Or will Israel just take the land and — do what? — to those Arabs?”
If they’re smart, they send them to countries that already hate Israel - so we’ll see if they’re smart.
More likely, any Arabs expelled from Syria will head to Europe.
“More likely, any Arabs expelled from Syria will head to Europe.”
Matches my answer!
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