Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a gathering at the dedication of a synagogue at the Ein Keshatot archaeological site on the Golan Heights that Israel’s presence in the region is a “solid reality based on ancient rights.”
Netanyahu is slated to meet in the coming days with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to discuss further military coordination between the Israel and Russia and how that relates to the presence of Iranian forces in Syria, something that the Israeli government has repeatedly said it is unwilling to tolerate on a permanent basis.
“Today we see what is happening over the border – Iran’s attempts to establish a military presence and the aggression of terrorist fanatics. We will continue to stand strong and determined against all of these,” Netanyahu told the gathering Monday evening.
“Israel on the Golan Heights is a guarantee for stability in the surrounding area. Israel on the Golan Heights is a solid reality based on ancient rights,” he said.
“Israel on the Golan Heights is a fact that the international community must recognize, and as long as it depends on me the Golan Heights will always remain under Israeli sovereignty because otherwise we would have Iran and Hezbollah on the shores of the Kinneret,” he added.
“Iran and Hezbollah are trying constantly to establish a force opposite us that would operate against the Golan Heights and the Galilee. We are thwarting this and as long as it depends on me we will continue to do so. We will continue to act with determination against Iran’s attempts to open an additional front against us on the Golan Heights, and in Syria we will act against all attempts to transfer lethal weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“I will discuss these matters with President Putin when I meet with him soon. I decided with President Putin on the important security coordination between the IDF and the Russian military, and of course together we have developed good relations between Russia and Israel. I know that President Putin understands my commitment to the security of Israel and I know that he also understands the importance that I ascribe to the Golan Heights, that we all ascribe to the Golan Heights and to the heritage of Israel.”