(Jerusalem Post) Reuven Ben-Shalom - Why do we say "give back" referring to the Golan? Who really owns it? Perhaps it should go to Turkey, for it once belonged to the Ottoman Empire. The Golan was allocated to the British Mandate at the San Remo Peace Conference in 1920, but was later arbitrarily placed under a French Mandate in 1923. It was then made part of Syria upon its independence in 1947. Syria held the plateau for 20 years but lost it during the Six-Day War, after years of aggression. With Jewish presence on the Golan beginning 2,000 ago, and after the past 45 years under Israeli rule, I believe that a country that held it for 20 years, but lost it fair and square due to acts of aggression, has absolutely no ownership claims.
2012-11-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive