Netanyahu Visits Golan Heights, Warns Israel's Enemies Not to 'Test Us'
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid a rare visit to Golan Heights on Tuesday, inspecting the nearby border into Syria.
The official visited a hilltop observation point, some three kilometers (two miles) from a 1974 ceasefire line. Speaking to his security cabinet, he warned against any attempt by Iran to deepen its military presence in Syria or construct missile factories in neighboring Lebanon.
“We seek peace but are prepared for any scenario and I wouldn’t suggest to anyone that they test us,” Netanyahu stated.
The Golan Heights dispute remains an apple of discord for Israel and Syria, provoking tit-for-tat strikes in border areas. Israel’s occupation of the western two-thirds of the Golan Heights (known in Syria as Quneitra governorate) prevents the states from signing a peace treaty. Tel-Aviv annexed the disputed area during the Six-Day War in 1967, what has been repeatedly condemned by the UN in 1981 and 2008.