ABSTRACT
Israel was always sensitive in regard to the Golan Heights because Syria posed a threat to the settlements of the Hula Valley and Galilee below, and also because of the danger that the Syrians might divert the water of the Banias and prevent the flow of water to the Jordan, which is Israel’s principal water source. The conquest of the Golan Heights in the Six Day War removed the Syrian threat and for the first time created a substantial distance between Israel’s northern settlements and Syria. The strategic advantage gained through the conquest of the Golan Heights may explain the speed with which Israel took steps to settle the conquered region.
