Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Democracy on the Golan

From the Jerusalem Post:


Syria's ambassador to the UK told an audience on Saturday that Israeli residents of the Golan Heights might prefer to remain under Syrian sovereignty if the area were returned to Syria.

Dr. Sami Khiyami spoke at a conference entitled, "The Golan: Ending Occupation, Establishing Peace," held at London University's School of Oriental and African Studies and hosted by the Syrian Media Center in London.

In his address, Khiyami stressed how important it was to Syria to recover "its most precious occupied territory."


Let's take that logic one step further: Let the people living on the Golan Heights decide what state, if any, they wish to be part of. If they wish to be part of Syria, let Syria have sovereignty; if they wish to be part of Israel, let Israel continue to have sovereignty; if they wish to be an independent state of their own, so be it.

Let us not forget that the Golan was originally supposed to be part of the British Mandate over Palestine, until it was traded to France. It was only because of that legerdemain that it became part of Syria for a few short years, less time than it has been part of Israel.

Let the people decide.

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