ABSTRACT
Camp David, Jordan’s peace with Israel and Iraq’s defeat in the Gulf War make the “Arab-Israeli Balance” largely a “Syrian-Israeli Balance.” Syria can mass large numbers of towed artillery weapons and multiple rocket launchers, and this could have a major impact in an area like the Golan where ranges are relatively short and where Syria normally deploys much of its artillery in the area. Movement through the Golan area is limited by Mount Hermon in the north and by the Ruqqad and Yarmuk River wadis in the far south. The Golan provides the Israel Defense Forces with excellent staging points for radars and observation points to cover Israel and Syria. The character and success of any Syrian attack on the Golan would depend on its ability to conduct a massive sudden move under the cloak of weather or night or its ability to implement a political and military deception plan.
