ABSTRACT
On December 14, 1981, the Knesset enacted legislation applying Israeli law on the Golan Heights. Syria reacted furiously to the passage of the Golan Heights Law. Syria apparently realized that the application of Israeli law on the Golan Heights did not constitute a fundamental change in either the situation or Syria's future options. The application of Israeli law on the Golan Heights should not be construed as the area's annexation. A brief comparison may be relevant. Repeal of the law will become a practical issue only if a political settlement includes full peace and involves an Israeli withdrawal from all or most of the Golan Heights, particularly if it entails the removal of Jewish settlements. Indeed, an Israeli government will probably find it more difficult to dismantle settlements and cede territory than to repeal the 1981 law.
