Voices from Israel

On the Golan...

Editor's note: The letter below reflects the despair felt by the Golan Heights communities, which reached a crescendo when Netanyahu made a speech outlining Israel's security requirements with never a mention of the Golan.

10 November 1997

To: Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu

For a number of months the feelings have grown among us, that contrary to your promises and declaration, before the elections and after the elections, regarding the development of the Golan by the government you lead, the absolute opposite is the case. By what is going on in the field and the attitude of the government you head towards the Golan, we cannot but reach the shocking conclusion that you do not consider our region but a negotiating card within the framework of a deal with the Syrians--and until then, until the deal, the government will "dry" us.

And if we needed a final verification of our hard feeling, your speech last night comes and gives us the final confirmation that the Golan is not included, in your view, within the framework of necessary areas which Israel must have under its control for Israel's security. The fact is that you "skipped" the Golan in your review of places which must stay in Israeli hands!

Beyond the declaration, the actions --or rather inaction-- of the government attest to your intentions. The facts are clear: The occupation of many tens of homes whose construction has been completed has been barred, this despite that most of them have people waiting for them; The obligation to add territory to enlarge settlements in areas of supreme strategic importance is not

being carried out and thus these settlements are being deliberately "strangled"; Funds which the Golan received over all the years have been canceled, thus preventing us from continuing the development of the Golan; The implementation of the Bnot-Yaacov Bridge and additional necessary infrastructure for which we have explicit written commitments are canceled. And the list is longer.

Mr. Prime Minister, even during the period of the last Labor government, whose policies regarding the Golan we stridently opposed and fought against, we weren't "dried" as this government is "drying" us.

The previous government allowed us to develop --the government you head doesn't!

We want to clarify, that after a long period during which we did everything we could to promote the matter of the Golan before you and the ministers of your government, without success--now we have no alternative except to prepare for a struggle over our home, and a struggle over land which is vital to insure the future of the State of Israel. The struggle which we will carry out will be in the field and in the Knesset, including the

prevention of the passing of the budget.

We call on you at the last moment: Return to the path of Zionism and security! Raise again the banner of the Golan --the banner which you proudly carried on your way to victory in the elections. Honor your obligations to this people --and act to develop the Golan. Do not force us to go out on a struggle which we also do not want.

Regards,

Yehuda Wolman

Head, Golan Regional Council

Avi Zeira

Chairman, Committee of Golan Settlements

Shmuel Bar Lev

Head, Katzrin Local Council

(Translated from the original Hebrew by Dr. Aaron Lerner of Independent Media Review & Analysis [IMRA])

Rehavam Ze'evi...

Editor's note: what follows are excerpts from an interview given by Knesset Member Rehavam Ze'evi (Moledet) to IMRA on November 26, 1997.

IMRA: MK Ehud Barak warned today that if there is a break down in the negotiations with the Palestinians that Israel will face a guerrilla war. How do redeployments affect the nature of guerrilla warfare?

Ze'evi: First I want to say that if the threat of guerrilla warfare acts as a factor influencing our decision making then it won't end in Jerusalem but rather at Shenkin Street in Tel Aviv. We will also get to that because if we make our decisions due to threats of guerrilla warfare or the results of intifada, then we will go to the end. And they know this. And the Jews, in their stupidity, don't understand. So they declare that there are these considerations and they encourage the Arab to take such actions.

Secondly, guerrilla warfare's influence depends on the response of the military forces of the State of Israel. If on the 9th of December 1987 [the start of the intifada--IMRA] we would have given them a hit on the head things would have been great. Because they would have learned their lesson and we would have had another twenty quiet years.

When the tunnel was opened it was a classic opportunity to teach the Palestinian police, a new force on the scene: they opened fire on us and the very same day we should have gone into Nablus and confiscated their weapons and told them that the Oslo Agreement

(Continued on p.11)