Ok now that we have that sorted out...............................The signpost really exists. The Golan heights became part of Israel when in 1967 the Arab armies felt they had a chance of pushing the Jews (Israeli) in the sea. Within 6 days of war Israel in the north took Syrian territories , an area called the Golan heights. The usual term used is occupied territory. Were the Jews expected to give it back after having taken it defending their right to live in smaller Israel? One minister recommended doing so although not in the Golan. His name was Allon. He lived on a kibbutz on the sea of galalli only a few miles from the Golan.
On 26 July he [Yigal Allon, then Deputy Prime Minister of Israel] submitted to the cabinet a plan that was to bear his name [The Allon Plan]. It called for incorporating in Israel the following areas: a strip of land ten to fifteen kilometers wide along the Jordan River; most of the Judean desert along the Dead Sea; and a substantial area around Greater Jerusalem, including the Latrum salient. Designed to include as few Arabs as possible in the area claimed for Israel, the plan envisaged building permanent settlements and army bases in these areas. Finally, it called for opening negotiations with local leaders on turning the remaining parts of the West Bank into an autonomous region that would be economically linked to Israel. The cabinet discussed Allon's plan but neither adopted nor rejected it."
The Golan heights were not part of the plan but I believe that the above plan would lead to the same happening in the north. However it was not to be and the Golan heights were developed by Israel
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In 2005 the Golan Heights had a population of approximately 38900, including approximately 19300 Druze, 16500 Jews, and 2100 Muslims. The most interesting population are the Druze population. 10% have Israeli citizenship The other 90% have Syrian Citizenship. Since 2005 Israel and Syria have an agreement allowing druse to export their apples to Syria. Syria also offers those with Syrian citizenship free university education. they have a standard of living vastly surpassing that of their counterparts on the Syrian side of the border, which causes them to fear a return to Syria, though most of them identify themselves as Syrian. Ties to Syria are on the wane, and many have come to appreciate aspects of Israel's liberal democratic society, although few risk saying it publicly for fear of Syrian retribution. As I have mentioned previously on this blog I have Druse friends and am welcome in there houses. I know many of them have family in Syria have studied in Syria yet have come back to live in Israel. One of those men is my dentist whose practace is in Qasrin (where I live) a nearly totally jewish settlement.
I wish to post some pictures of the Golan heights
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