Air raid sirens sounded in the Golan Heights - Israeli military statement

 

An Israeli tank can be seen near the Israeli side of the border with Syria in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Israel May 9, 2018. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

 

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Israeli military said early on Thursday that several air raid sirens had "sounded in the area of the Golan Heights" and that it was looking into the cause.

 

Tensions have been high since U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was quitting the Iranian nuclear deal on Tuesday, prompting Israel to go on high alert.

 

In a short initial statement on Thursday the Israel Defence Forces said "the details are being looked into" and gave no further details.

 

On Tuesday the Israeli military said it had identified “irregular activity” by Iranian forces in Syria, and instructed civic authorities on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to ready bomb shelters. It also deployed new defences and mobilized some reservist forces.

 

Israel's government was a strong supporter of, and advocate for, Trump's decision to quit the Iran nuclear deal and has been readying itself for a possible regional flare-up.

 

In the run-up to Trump's decision, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised presentation last week that Israel had obtained tens of thousands of pages of what he described as Iran's "secret atomic archives" from what looked from the outside to be a dilapidated Tehran warehouse.

 

Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah have been helping Syrian President Bashar al-Assad beat back a seven-year-old rebellion. Israel has carried out repeated air strikes against them, hoping to stop the formation of a Lebanese-Syrian front to its north.

 

On Tuesday Syrian state media accused Israel of launching missiles at a target near Damascus, shortly after Trump's announcement. Syrian air defences fired at two Israeli missiles, destroying both, Syrian state news agency SANA.

 

An Israeli military spokeswoman said at the time that "we do not respond to such foreign reports."

 

(Reporting by Stephen Farrell; Editing by Sandra Maler)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-05-10

Iranian forces in Syria shell Israeli army bases on Golan - Israel

 

An Israeli soldier sits on an APC as it drives near the Israeli side of the border with Syria in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Israel May 9, 2018. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

 

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Iranian forces on the Syrian-held side of the Golan Heights shelled Israeli army outposts on the strategic plateau on Thursday but caused no casualties, the Israeli military said.

 

Israel retaliated for the attack, military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus said, without elaborating.

 

The late-night incident followed a surge in tensions between Israel and Syria, where Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah forces have been helping Damascus beat back a 7-year-old rebellion.

 

Fearing that Iran and Hezbollah are setting up a Lebanese-Syrian front against it, Israel has occasionally struck at their forces. Iran blamed it for an April 9 air strike that killed seven of its military personnel in Syria, and vowed revenge.

 

Conricus said that, in Thursday's attack, around 20 projectiles, most likely rockets, were fired by the Quds Force, an external arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, at around 12.10 a.m.

 

"A few of those rockets were intercepted" by Israel's Iron Dome air defence system, Conricus told reporters. "We are not aware of any casualties. The amount of damage that we currently assess is low."

 

Asked if Israel retaliated for the salvo, he said: "We have retaliated but I have no further details about this."

 

Expectations of a regional flare-up were stoked by U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement on Tuesday that he was withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear deal. Hours later, an Israeli air strike in Syria killed 15 people, including 8 Iranians, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

 

Israel has neither confirmed or denied responsibility.

 

(Reporting by Stephen Farrell; Editing by James Dalgleish)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-05-10

 

Thanks Trump. You are one of a kind! 

1 hour ago, Somtamnication said:

Thanks Trump. You are one of a kind! 

He's indeed one of the kind, the one that rattles the snake' cages of Iran

and N. Korea showing them who's boss here..., something that good

old Barack Hussein Obama would never do...

You would think Israel would expect combat in the contested areas. After all it is not their land.

Syrian state media says dozens of Israeli rockets fired into Syria

 

An Israeli soldier stands on a tank as another jumps off it near the Israeli side of the border with Syria in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Israel May 9, 2018. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

 

BEIRUT/JERSUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel launched dozens of rockets into Syria early on Thursday, Syrian state media reported, after Israel's military said Iranian forces in Syria had shelled one of its outposts near the border.

 

The scale of Israeli fire appeared to be far higher than in previous incidents and Damascus residents described seeing a series of explosions above the city from air defence systems.

 

Tensions between Israel and Iran have threatened to spill over in Syria, where the Iranian military and allied Shi'ite militia are backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his war against rebels seeking to oust him.

 

"The Syrian air defences are confronting a new wave of Israeli aggression rockets and downing them one after the other," state news agency SANA reported.

 

Asked whether Israel had attacked near Damascus or scrambled communications there, an Israeli military spokeswoman said, "I have no comment on that at this time."

 

Syrian state television was broadcasting footage of its air defences firing at incoming rockets and playing patriotic songs.

 

It said Israeli warplanes were firing the rockets from outside Syria's borders and targeting Baath City in Quneitra province.

 

Israel's military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said earlier that Israel had retaliated for an attack on its outposts in the strategic Golan Heights plateau. He did not elaborate.

 

Israeli media said residents of Metulla, on the Lebanese border, had been instructed to go to bomb shelters. There was no official confirmation.

 

Syria's state news agency SANA and a war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, had reported artillery fire from Israeli-held territory at Baath City, located near the border. The Observatory said rockets were fired at military positions of the Syrian army and allied forces.

 

A correspondent for SANA said strikes were targeting Syrian air defence brigades and attempting to destroy radar installations.

 

Lebanon's National News Agency, citing Lebanese Army Command, reported Israeli jets circling over Lebanese territory early on Thursday before exiting.

 

MOUNTING TENSIONS

The late-night incident followed a surge in tensions between Israel and Syria, where Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah forces have been helping Damascus beat back a 7-year-old rebellion.

 

Israel describes Iran as its biggest threat and Hezbollah as the biggest threat on its borders.

 

Fearing that Iran and Hezbollah are setting up a Lebanese-Syrian front against it, Israel has occasionally struck at their forces. Iran blamed it for an April 9 air strike that killed seven of its military personnel in Syria, and vowed revenge.

 

Conricus said that, in Thursday's attack, around 20 projectiles, most likely rockets, were fired by the Quds Force, an external arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, at around 12.10 a.m.

 

"A few of those rockets were intercepted" by Israel's Iron Dome air defence system, Conricus told reporters. "We are not aware of any casualties. The amount of damage that we currently assess is low."

 

Asked if Israel retaliated for the salvo, he said, "We have retaliated but I have no further details about this."

 

Expectations of a regional flare-up were stoked by U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement on Tuesday that he was withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear deal. Hours later, Israeli rocket rockets targeted a military base in Kisweh, a commander in the pro-Syrian government regional alliance said.

 

The strike killed 15 people, including eight Iranians, the Observatory said. Israel has neither confirmed or denied responsibility.

 

(Reporting by Stephen Farrell and Dan Williams in Jerusalem and Dahlia Nehme in Beirut, writing by Angus McDowall; Editing Grant McCool, Toni Reinhold)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-05-10

You would think that a country such as Iran would wait and show the world ,especially their European allies how to proceed peacefully and to show how POTUS was so wrong .

Time to reset the clock. 

http://israelhasbeenrocketfreefor.com/

3 minutes ago, car720 said:

Unfortunately the world of megalomaniacs is another place all together.

And who cast the first hard object today,Megalomaniacs?

14 minutes ago, riclag said:

You would think that a country such as Iran would wait and show the world ,especially their European allies how to proceed peacefully and to show how POTUS was so wrong .

http://israelhasbeenrocketfreefor.com/

You are deliberately muddying the timeline as Zionist apologists usually do.

 

Israel without provocation attacked and killed 8 Iranians on Tuesday. You expect Iran to do nothing.

OP...
"Expectations of a regional flare-up were stoked by U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement on Tuesday that he was withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear deal. Hours later, Israeli rockets targeted a military base in Kisweh, a commander in the pro-Syrian government regional alliance said.
The strike killed 15 people, including eight Iranians, the Observatory said"

 

You have Trump prodding Iran with sanctions, and Israel poking Iran with bombs. This is the only plan that Trump and Netanyahu have to distract voters from their domestic corruption issues...start another unnecessary war!

 

The next move will be the usual pre-emptive strike with Netanyahu whining "Now look what you made me do."

9 minutes ago, dexterm said:

You are deliberately muddying the timeline as Zionist apologists usually do.

 

Israel without provocation attacked and killed 8 Iranians on Tuesday. You expect Iran to do nothing.

OP...
"Expectations of a regional flare-up were stoked by U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement on Tuesday that he was withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear deal. Hours later, Israeli rocket rockets targeted a military base in Kisweh, a commander in the pro-Syrian government regional alliance said.
The strike killed 15 people, including eight Iranians, the Observatory said"

 

You have Trump prodding Iran with sanctions, and Israel poking Iran with bombs. This is the only plan that Trump and Netanyahu have to distract voters from their domestic corruption issues...start another unnecessary war!

 The first story in the thread shows Iran casting the first hard object.The world is watching how Iran reacts to controversy.They are so predictable.

17 minutes ago, riclag said:

The world is watching how Iran reacts to controversy.They are so predictable

As is the racist state of Israel. Making war is only MO they know. Isn't it time they tried making peace with their neighbors by giving back land they have stolen... the Golan Heights.

 

I have no doubt that Israel with their sophisticated weaponry will ultimately prevail in the latest war they are intent on starting, but Netanyahu and draft dodging Trump will have much Israeli and possibly US blood on their hands when the missiles start flying. Many civilians on both sides will be killed.

 

Readers note who started this.

3 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

Thanks Trump. You are one of a kind! 

Mr. Trump did not launch missiles at Israel. Iran did that, all by itself.

Your logic is rather disturbing as it excuses Iran's attack. Because a country says it does not wish to continue a sham of an agreement and has exercised its right to withdraw, the other party  launches an attack on an unrelated third party.

The USA withdrawal is not reason to attack anyone.

 

The USA has stated that it will withdraw from NAFTA unless the treaty is renegotiated to address its concerns. Your logic would justify a missile attack by Canada and Mexico against an important trading partner of the USA, China.

Not the best action is it? Not justified is it? Why then would you try to blame Trump?

 

1 hour ago, lannarebirth said:

You would think Israel would expect combat in the contested areas. After all it is not their land.

How does that justify Iran's attack? Iran isn't going after Israel to recover the Golan. It is attacking Israel because it wishes to wipe the country out. I remind you of three uncontested facts;

 

1. The border was never settled. You seem to be unaware that when  Syria attacked Israel in 1948  it captured land that was part of Israel's original territory. Despite an agreement for a DMZ and water management agreements, Syria repeatedly attacked Israel and allowed Fatah to use the Golan for their  bases. Syria regularly fired  artillery into Israel from the Golan heights. No one was making any claims of Israeli occupation at the time, but Syria was sworn to the destruction of Israel, period.

 

2. Syria and  its arab allies were planning a surprise attack and destruction of Israel in 1967. The arabs miscalculated and were defeated. As a result, Israel took the area from which the arabs had been launching their attacks and created buffer zones. The arabs were the aggressors, not Israel.

 

3. 1973 war: When Syria launched its surprise attack on the holiest day of the year for Israel, it nearly broke through. Had the Israelis not had the Golan  territory to  act as a buffer, Syria would have been in Jerusalem within a day. Fortunately, some brave and brilliant Israeli tank commanders  did not retreat and held their ground. Outnumbered by tanks and troops, in some areas by a ratio of 10:1, Israel stood firm.  Israel cannot give up the Golan to a hostile nation. Whether it be Syria or its new defacto rulers, Iran.

 

The defacto armistice between Syria and Israel  held up since 1973. It  has only started to shred now that Iran has moved its Republican Guards into Syria and seeks to create a defacto shiite state, just as it did with Hizbollah in Lebanon.

This is  all about Iran looking to make trouble and to push its Shiite views on the local Sunnis.

This whole mess could've been avoided if it weren't for the Balfour Declaration where the British promised the same piece of land to two different ethnic groups simultaneously. 

The Israeli's are fabricating an attack.

 

 

7 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

Mr. Trump did not launch missiles at Israel. Iran did that, all by itself.

Your logic is rather disturbing as it excuses Iran's attack. Because a country says it does not wish to continue a sham of an agreement and has exercised its right to withdraw, the other party  launches an attack on an unrelated third party.

The USA withdrawal is not reason to attack anyone.

 

The USA has stated that it will withdraw from NAFTA unless the treaty is renegotiated to address its concerns. Your logic would justify a missile attack by Canada and Mexico against an important trading partner of the USA, China.

Not the best action is it? Not justified is it? Why then would you try to blame Trump?

 

How does that justify Iran's attack? Iran isn't going after Israel to recover the Golan. It is attacking Israel because it wishes to wipe the country out. I remind you of three uncontested facts;

 

1. The border was never settled. You seem to be unaware that when  Syria attacked Israel in 1948  it captured land that was part of Israel's original territory. Despite an agreement for a DMZ and water management agreements, Syria repeatedly attacked Israel and allowed Fatah to use the Golan for their  bases. Syria regularly fired  artillery into Israel from the Golan heights. No one was making any claims of Israeli occupation at the time, but Syria was sworn to the destruction of Israel, period.

 

2. Syria and  its arab allies were planning a surprise attack and destruction of Israel in 1967. The arabs miscalculated and were defeated. As a result, Israel took the area from which the arabs had been launching their attacks and created buffer zones. The arabs were the aggressors, not Israel.

 

3. 1973 war: When Syria launched its surprise attack on the holiest day of the year for Israel, it nearly broke through. Had the Israelis not had the Golan  territory to  act as a buffer, Syria would have been in Jerusalem within a day. Fortunately, some brave and brilliant Israeli tank commanders  did not retreat and held their ground. Outnumbered by tanks and troops, in some areas by a ratio of 10:1, Israel stood firm.  Israel cannot give up the Golan to a hostile nation. Whether it be Syria or its new defacto rulers, Iran.

 

The defacto armistice between Syria and Israel  held up since 1973. It  has only started to shred now that Iran has moved its Republican Guards into Syria and seeks to create a defacto shiite state, just as it did with Hizbollah in Lebanon.

This is  all about Iran looking to make trouble and to push its Shiite views on the local Sunnis.

 

Listen, I've got no beef with Israel. I have been a long term supporter of theirs, until the settlements. They have no right to settle disputed territories. I am still a supporter of theirs if they are attacked within their boundaries, but if it happens in the occupied territories I figure it is the risk an occupying force must take into consideration.

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

He's indeed one of the kind, the one that rattles the snake' cages of Iran

and N. Korea showing them who's boss here..., something that good

old Barack Hussein Obama would never do...

Exactly. He's cleaning up the mess from the previous decades of weak leadership.

3 hours ago, dexterm said:

As is the racist state of Israel. Making war is only MO they know. Isn't it time they tried making peace with their neighbors by giving back land they have stolen... the Golan Heights.

 

I have no doubt that Israel with their sophisticated weaponry will ultimately prevail in the latest war they are intent on starting, but Netanyahu and draft dodging Trump will have much Israeli and possibly US blood on their hands when the missiles start flying. Many civilians on both sides will be killed.

 

Readers note who started this.

I don't often disagree with you, but Israel would be mad to give the Golan Heights back. Surely you can remember when Syrian artillery used to shell Israel from them?

It's the only occupied land that I think they shouldn't give back.

1 hour ago, lionsincity said:

The Israeli's are fabricating an attack.

 

 

... and you are basing that statement based on what exactly? 

3 hours ago, riclag said:

You would think that a country such as Iran would wait and show the world ,especially their European allies how to proceed peacefully and to show how POTUS was so wrong .

Time to reset the clock. 

http://israelhasbeenrocketfreefor.com/

 

I agree that it is time to reset the clock. Isreal shold leave ALL the territories it has invaded since 1967 and stop attacking other countries, leave East Jerusalem and publically destroy ALL its nuclear weapons. Then they can start peace talks from that reset point.

 

1 hour ago, geriatrickid said:

Mr. Trump did not launch missiles at Israel. Iran did that, all by itself.

Your logic is rather disturbing as it excuses Iran's attack. Because a country says it does not wish to continue a sham of an agreement and has exercised its right to withdraw, the other party  launches an attack on an unrelated third party.

The USA withdrawal is not reason to attack anyone.

 

The USA has stated that it will withdraw from NAFTA unless the treaty is renegotiated to address its concerns. Your logic would justify a missile attack by Canada and Mexico against an important trading partner of the USA, China.

Not the best action is it? Not justified is it? Why then would you try to blame Trump?

 

How does that justify Iran's attack? Iran isn't going after Israel to recover the Golan. It is attacking Israel because it wishes to wipe the country out. I remind you of three uncontested facts;

 

1. The border was never settled. You seem to be unaware that when  Syria attacked Israel in 1948  it captured land that was part of Israel's original territory. Despite an agreement for a DMZ and water management agreements, Syria repeatedly attacked Israel and allowed Fatah to use the Golan for their  bases. Syria regularly fired  artillery into Israel from the Golan heights. No one was making any claims of Israeli occupation at the time, but Syria was sworn to the destruction of Israel, period.

 

2. Syria and  its arab allies were planning a surprise attack and destruction of Israel in 1967. The arabs miscalculated and were defeated. As a result, Israel took the area from which the arabs had been launching their attacks and created buffer zones. The arabs were the aggressors, not Israel.

 

3. 1973 war: When Syria launched its surprise attack on the holiest day of the year for Israel, it nearly broke through. Had the Israelis not had the Golan  territory to  act as a buffer, Syria would have been in Jerusalem within a day. Fortunately, some brave and brilliant Israeli tank commanders  did not retreat and held their ground. Outnumbered by tanks and troops, in some areas by a ratio of 10:1, Israel stood firm.  Israel cannot give up the Golan to a hostile nation. Whether it be Syria or its new defacto rulers, Iran.

 

The defacto armistice between Syria and Israel  held up since 1973. It  has only started to shred now that Iran has moved its Republican Guards into Syria and seeks to create a defacto shiite state, just as it did with Hizbollah in Lebanon.

This is  all about Iran looking to make trouble and to push its Shiite views on the local Sunnis.

 

Yeah, this has nothing to do with that:
It's a civil war of Syria!  What mandate does that give Israel to attack??? And Israel attacked Syria earlier yesterday killing 8 Iranians!!!
The Golan Heights is Syrian territory that Israel has occupied since 1967... more that 50 years. If I would move in to your living room for 50 years? Would you be OK with that???

After WWII the Zionists never wanted peace and had never any intention of honor the agreement that was setup by UK and US (not by the people then living in what was then Palestine!), instead they have been trying to steal the rest of the land and killing Palestinians with no regards if they are soldiers, civilians or children!

And it only get worse as some of Trumps biggest sponsors are Jews, oil and arms industry, paying Trump to be a puppet for Israel and promote war instead of being the leader of the free world promoting peace like Obama!

And by the way... US is sponsoring Saudi Arabia (Sunnis) in their genocide of Shia Muslims in Yemen and they have been helping the Sunni minority against the Shia majority in Iraq!!! So I don't really know who are the worst; Shias, Sunnis, Jews or Americans!

48 minutes ago, billd766 said:

 

I agree that it is time to reset the clock. Isreal shold leave ALL the territories it has invaded since 1967 and stop attacking other countries, leave East Jerusalem and publically destroy ALL its nuclear weapons. Then they can start peace talks from that reset point.

This isn't about 1967 or 20,000 years ago. It's about the current thread, the topic on hand.Iran could of showed the world how the USA/Israel was  so misinformed but instead they chose to slap France,UK,Germany and the rest of the people who supported the JCPOA in the face .They could of showed restraint but they showed their true colors.

 The first story here was that Iran cast the first stone after declaring their contempt for the USA leaving the deal. The Mullah first words  after the USA pull out we will start discussions with European leaders ."If necessary, we can begin our industrial enrichment without any limitations," the Iranian leader said. "Until implementation of this decision, we will wait for some weeks and will talk with our friends and allies and other signatories of the nuclear deal, who signed it and who will remain loyal to it. Everything depends on our national interests."

 Just after the USA announcement "Iranian lawmakers shouted "death to America" and set fire to a paper U.S. flag during angry scenes at the country's parliament in Tehran, a day after President Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal"This.gives just cause to the very reason why Israel and the USA had every reason to be suspicious of Iran

Now what will the UK,France and Germany do?

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/05/09/trump-iran-nuclear-deal-withdrawal-fallout/593490002/

 

 

1 hour ago, sukhumvitneon said:

This whole mess could've been avoided if it weren't for the Balfour Declaration where the British promised the same piece of land to two different ethnic groups simultaneously. 

It's called divide and rule. That's how most imperial powers gain and maintain an empire.

Wasn't Israel ordered to hand back the Golan Heights to Syria under a UN resolution several decades ago?

Golan Heights might be contested, but if Iranian forces in Syria are attacking Israelis in the Golan Heights, then Israel will be expected to fight back at Iranian forces, being that it's contested and that Israel claims it. Those supporting Iran -- are you suggesting Iran has a claim to it? 

6 hours ago, sukhumvitneon said:

This whole mess could've been avoided if it weren't for the Balfour Declaration where the British promised the same piece of land to two different ethnic groups simultaneously. 

1920 something, no?

Israel have you believe they can attack anywhere in Syria whenever they like.

But as soon as Syria and their allies fight back it's aggression.

10 hours ago, dexterm said:

You are deliberately muddying the timeline as Zionist apologists usually do.

 

Israel without provocation attacked and killed 8 Iranians on Tuesday. You expect Iran to do nothing...snip.

 

9 hours ago, dexterm said:

As is the racist state of Israel. Making war is only MO they know. Isn't it time they tried making peace with their neighbors by giving back land they have stolen... the Golan Heights.

 

I have no doubt that Israel with their sophisticated weaponry will ultimately prevail in the latest war they are intent on starting, but Netanyahu and draft dodging Trump will have much Israeli and possibly US blood on their hands when the missiles start flying. Many civilians on both sides will be killed.

 

Readers note who started this.

What were the Iranian Armed Forces doing along the border with Israel then - a spot of "adventure training" - rock climbing and abseiling?

 

There is a reason why the Israeli government hangs on to the Golan. From day one of the existence of the state of Israel the Syrians and assorted mates used the Golan heights to shell, mortar and launch rockets at Israeli settlements in the lands below. They also sniped at farmer's working land near the pre 1967 borders, and used the Golan as the jumping off point for many raids and incursions on Israeli settlements, many of which resulted in the heroic and noble murder of women and children. That all stopped when the Israelis defeated the Syrians and drove them off the height in 1967.They hung onto them in bitter fighting in the Yom Kippur war - another attempt to annihilate Israel. They aren't going to give them back, so that the Iranians and their proxies can start shelling, mortaring, sniping and raiding again. It's not racist, it's survival.

10 hours ago, lannarebirth said:

You would think Israel would expect combat in the contested areas. After all it is not their land.

It is their land now. Israel fights war the old fashion way, take what you win. None of this war for bragging rights like America. All the war in the last century and the victors hardly have any land to show for it. 

Israel has launched multiple attacks into Syria during the course of the Syrian Civil war. Unsuprisingly now that Trump has cancelled US participation in the Nuclear deal. Iran feels no need restrain itself from retaliating against Israel. Trump the US Hawks , israel and Saudi Arabia want conflict with Iran. I pray for the Mothers who's children will be lost to satisfy Old Men's ego's .

38 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

It is their land now. Israel fights war the old fashion way, take what you win. None of this war for bragging rights like America. All the war in the last century and the victors hardly have any land to show for it. 

The pre 1967 borders of Israel were/are to all intents and purposes indefensible. Now of course that possibly would not matter, if the four bordering countries, Egypt, Jordan (enthusiastically backed up by/prodded by Iraq), Syria and Lebanon had not threatened, harboured terrorist groups or indeed constantly attacked Israel. But they did all this, constantly, for the first 20 years of Israel's existence. 1967 allowed Israel to seize land to make itself defensible. That's why they took that land, that's why they hang onto it.