Thursday, February 20, 2020

Golan Heights Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Golan Heights - Research Paper Example This assignment will take a look at what the Golan Heights are and what the significance of this area is. A brief historical overview of who has occupied the Golan Heights will be given in order to further understand the history and value of this area. An analysis of the conflict between Syria and Israel over the Golan Heights will be given, as well as the various attempts at resolving the conflict. Finally, it will be determined how the issue stands today and what the future for this dispute may hold. 2. THE GOLAN HEIGHTS The Golan Heights is a plateau region of 1800 sq km on the border of Israel and Syria. Its highest point is Mount Hermon in the north which is 2800 metres high and it reaches below sea level in the south on the Sea of Galilee. Israel occupies 1200 sq km of the area; although, it is recognised as Syrian land. There are 41 Israeli settlements in the Israeli occupied zone and approximately 19100 Israelis living there. Over twenty thousand Syrians live in the area; mos tly they are of the Druze sect. [cia world fact book, 2011] The Golan Heights is known for its rich farming land, as well as abundant water supplies which include the headwaters of the Jordan River, the Baniyas Springs and the Yarmuk River. The water from this area makes up 30% of Israel’s total fresh water supply. ... Between the third and second millennium B.C. the Amorites inhabited the region until the Arameans conquered the land. Biblical references indicate that the Golan Heights were then seized from the Amaraens by the Israelites and settled by the Manasseh tribe in 800 B.C. During the next centuries the Heights were conquered by first the Assyrians, then the Babylonian empire and then by the Persian Empire. Alexander the Great also took control over the heights before it finally fell into Roman hands. During the Roman era, the Heights were periodically given to the Syrian province then traded to Israel again. In 636 A.D. the Arabs took over the Golan Heights after the battle of Yarmouk and remained under Muslim rule for many centuries; although it did fall under various dynasties during this time. The Golan Heights was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire between 1516 until the end of World War I, after which it passed to France’s rule on a mandate of the League of Nations. Syria re ceived its independence in 1944 and the Golan Heights were officially a part of the country. [Golan Sights, 2009] From this turbulent history it can be seen how important the Heights were deemed to be over the years. Thus, it is not surprising that conflict over the region still rages. 4. THE CONFLICT Conflict over the Golan Heights began almost immediately after the withdrawal of the European mandatory forces. War broke out between Syria and Israel between 1948 and 1949. At the end of the war, the two sides agreed to partly demilitarize the Golan Heights within accordance of the Syria-Israel Armistice Agreement. However, both sides violated the agreement; with Israel attempting to use water from the Jordan River in the demilitarized zone and both countries sending raids into

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Eco-terrorists Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Eco-terrorists - Essay Example As revealed, the organization who claimed responsibility for setting the SUVs on fire, the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) indicated that these incidents â€Å"were intended to "take the profit motive" away from those responsible for pollution† (Tamaki, Chong and Lansberg par. 2). Support One element that confirms that the group who set fire on SUVs in California must be labeled as eco-terrorists is that members of the group who claimed responsibility actually were identified and labeled as â€Å"a loose association of militant environmentalists† (Tamaki, Chong and Lansberg par. 2). These groups of people are considered eco-terrorists because they wreak havoc on the lives of innocent people in the guise of protecting nature and the environment. The group like the Earth Liberation Front (ELF), who were responsible for the SUV vandalism believes â€Å"that the human species is perpetrating a war on nature and that those who are connected to nature and belong to it have a ri ght to defend themselves† (FoxNews.com par 10). As such, as environmentally oriented, the members of the group are not merely terrorists but clearly fall under the eco-terrorist classification or category. Support Eco-terrorists sow terror on many people through acts similar to political terrorists such as arson, bombings, vandalism and harassment and destroy millions worth of properties. Again, the descriptions satisfied the element in the definition of the term as the members use arson against innocent victims through destruction of property (SUVs). The FBI estimates that the damages of the attacks of eco-terrorists amount to more than $100 million (FoxNews.com par 6). Likewise, as revealed in one of the featured stories in the official website of the FBI entitled â€Å"Violence in the Name of the Environment: The Case of the Calculating Eco-Terrorist† (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)), â€Å"ELF has even boasted on its website that its members racked up some $ 55 million dollars in damages in 2003 through illegal anti-development and SUV dealership attacks† (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) par. 5). Support Eco-terrorists tend to target companies who they feel are doing damage to nature. This is evident in their attack against some SUV dealerships in California which they set on fire (Shpritz par 1). They consider SUVs as pollutants because of their poor fuel efficiency. Likewise, as revealed in the official FBI website, â€Å"The ELF advocates "monkeywrenching," a euphemism for acts of sabotage and property destruction against industries and other entities perceived to be damaging to the natural environment† (FBI par. 10). The members of the ELF were also reported to have engaged â€Å"in significant intelligence gathering against potential targets, including the review of industry/trade publications, photographic/video surveillance of potential targets, and posting details about potential targets on the internet† (FBI par. 11). As such, the targets were explicitly stated as organizations, both private and public, which were deemed to promote products and services that pose threats to the environment. These facts all support the conclusion that the group of people who set fire on SUVs in California should be labeled as â€Å"eco-terrorists† due to primary motive, group ideals, the targets for their violent actions and the damage inflicted, as a whole. Even if the group’s ideals were supposedly to protect the environment, their means