Topic: Golan Heights

Top galleries, list articles, quizzes

Golan Heights: Five keys to understanding the dispute

Weekend clashes along the Israeli-Syrian border between Israeli forces and pro-Palestinian protesters put the spotlight on the Golan Heights, a Syrian territory that Israel has controversially occupied for more than four decades. Here are five keys to understanding the dispute.
In Pictures: Golan Heights unrest
Photos of the Day: Photos of the day 02/14
Photos of the Day: Photos of the Day 10/27
Photos of the Day: Photos of the Day 02/04

All Content

Heed Balkan lessons for a fragmenting Syria and revise Kofi Annan plan

Kofi Annan's peace plan is failing to stop violence and ensure a political dialogue in Syria. To avoid a Balkans-like tragedy, an updated plan must include negotiations between Bashar al-Assad's regime and the opposition and deploy armed UN peacekeepers.
Terrorism & Security
Both sides violating Syria cease-fire. Still worth supporting? (+video)

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon called on all parties in Syria to stand by the cease-fire, which has been repeatedly violated by both the government and the opposition.
Syrian uprising shifts toward suicide bombings. Al Qaeda's handiwork? (+video)

Today's suicide bombings in Syria's Idlib province come just three days after a suicide bombing in Damascus claimed by a salafi jihadist organization.
Backchannels
Israeli army chief says he doubts Iran will build a nuclear weapon

In an interview with Haaretz, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Benny Gantz acknowledged the threat of a nuclear Iran but said Tehran wasn't likely to go there, citing its 'rational' leadership.
Russian comments on Syria hint at mounting disapproval of Assad

Russia appears to be running out of patience with Assad's heavy hand, and is preparing to push the Syrian leader for political and humanitarian concessions.
Khamenei: Iran strongly opposes any foreign intervention in Syria

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said Iran strongly opposes any foreign intervention in Syria's conflict, during a meeting with visiting Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan in Mashhad.
AIPAC concerns aside, Israelis say Iran is a waning hegemon

Israeli leaders see Iran in danger of losing its dominance in the region as Syria, the linchpin of Tehran's regional alliance, falters. But a nuclear weapon could help it regain lost ground.
Warriors of God: Inside Hezbollah’s Thirty-Year Struggle Against Israel

Journalist Nicholas Blanford's comprehensive account of the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel is well-paced and gripping.
An Israel in trouble makes a peace deal more urgent

Israel faces trouble on all sides – in Egypt, Syria, from Iran, and in the Palestinian push for statehood at the United Nations. These challenges make a peace agreement on a two-state solution more urgent than ever.
Israeli activists shift from Palestinian cause to pocketbook concerns

Tent-city protests over surging living costs started last week in Tel Aviv, the traditional hub of peace activism, and spread throughout the country. Housing prices have spiked 30 percent since 2007.
Palestinians' gambit for UN recognition wobbles

Even as the Arab League threw its weight behind the Palestinian Authority's bid for UN recognition of a Palestinian state, officials are having second thoughts.
Backchannels
On free speech, Israel and Iraq draw closer together

Common ground for two very different nations found by Human Rights Watch.
Backchannels
Meir Dagan, gadfly

The outspoken former Israeli spy chief is a lens on internal Israeli debates that are often overlooked in the US.
Feeling winds of Arab Spring, Israel douses sparks of Palestinian uprising

The trial of Palestinian protest leader Bassem Tamimi underscores Israel's eagerness to prevent small-scale demonstrations from turning into a broader movement.
Golan Heights: Five keys to understanding the dispute

Weekend clashes along the Israeli-Syrian border between Israeli forces and pro-Palestinian protesters put the spotlight on the Golan Heights, a Syrian territory that Israel has controversially occupied for more than four decades. Here are five keys to understanding the dispute.
In Pictures: Golan Heights unrest
Golan protests: Is Syria's Assad stirring up trouble with Israel?

While the Golan Heights returned to a tense calm today, yesterday's clashes signaled increased turmoil ahead – perhaps spurred by Syria's Assad as he battles revolt at home.
Backchannels
What's so 'shocking' about Obama mentioning 1967 borders?

Not much. A fact check on Huckabee and Romney's outrage, and Netanyahu's mention of a 2004 US 'commitment.'
'Nakba' clashes: Iran, Syria trying to turn Arab Spring fury into attacks on Israel?

Israeli officials have warned in recent weeks that 'radical' Islamist groups and Iran are trying to leverage the unrest in the Middle East to expand their influence and pull Israel into the conflict.
Palestinian refugees call for third intifada during deadly clashes at Israel-Lebanon border

A turnout of some 50,000 Palestinian refugees at the Israel-Lebanon border exceeded organizers' expectations and spurred calls for a peaceful 'third intifada.' But it is too soon to tell whether a fresh mass uprising will gain traction.
Amid Syria's turmoil, Israel sees Assad as the lesser evil

While Syria's 40-year Assad regime has fought multiple conflicts with Israel, it has also been a stable neighbor – making Israelis uneasy about the prospects of Islamists gaining power next door.
Syria protests: Is there a peaceful path to democracy?

Can Syria make a transition to democracy without facing the deadly battles now seen in Libya, or the repression in Bahrain? Yes, if enough leaders within Syria show vision and restraint, and if they are open to some outside mediation from South Africa, Turkey, and the US.
Time running out for Israel and peace talks

With the push for recognition of a Palestinian state at the United Nations and with the Middle East in turmoil, time is no longer on the side of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Syrian protesters face more violence in campaign against Assad

At least 12 protesters were reportedly killed today in demonstrations across Syria, where greater instability could alter the balance of power in the Middle East.
What is at stake if Syria's regime falls

Syria is a gateway for Iran's influence in the Middle East, but it has also been a relatively predictable neighbor for Israel. If Assad's regime comes unhinged, that could all change.