Friday Photo: Higher Golan Heights

Posted By Joshua Keating Friday, August 29, 2008 - 6:06 PM Share

David Silverman/Getty Images

Israeli paragliders ride the thermals rising off the Sea of Galilee over barbed wire that once surrounded a mine field during the Holy Wind festival on August 28, 2008 on the Mevo Hama cliffs on the Golan Heights.

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KIDZIB

5:31 PM ET

August 29, 2008

I don't mean to sound rude...

...but you should be aware that every time you write about or display something linking Israel and the Golan Heights without explicitly mentioning that it is occupied Syrian land, you are complicit in legitimating Israel's illegal annexation of that territory. The same goes for the West Bank, and especially East Jerusalem. These photos are taken and distributed for the purpose of reinforcing Israel's claim to sovereignty over an area that belongs to another entity. It is not responsible journalism to help Israel achieve this particular goal.

KHALID

3:05 PM ET

August 30, 2008

I wholeheartedly agree.

TEODORO

10:40 AM ET

September 2, 2008

Linking territories

What does it mean to "linking Israel and the Golan Heights"? Do you mean that the presence of Israelis in a terrirory that is in dispute means the bias of the reporter? Certainly not.

Merely reporting on their presence does not equal the statement "Israeli Golan Heights".

DALLAS DAN

4:27 PM ET

August 31, 2008

SPOILS OF WAR

ISRAEL WAS ATTACKED BY SYRIA AND ALL THE OTHER TERRORIST NATIONS WITH THE INTENT OF KILLING EVERY JEWISH MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD. WITH GOD'S HELP, THEY STOPPED THE BARBARIANS AT THE GATES. ISRAEL SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR GIVING UP THE SINAI TO EGYPT AND THE WEST BANK AND GAZA STRIP TO THE PALESTINIANS. BUT UNTIL SYRIA RECOGNIZES ISRAEL'S RIGHT TO EXIST, STOPS FUNDING TERRORIST GROUPS, GETS OUT OF LEBANON AND GIVES UP SOME OF THEIR OWN LAND TO THE KURDS WHO SUFFER UNDER THE AL-ASSAD DICTATORSHIP, THE GOLAN HEIGHTS WILL REMAIN IN ISRAELI HANDS.

BKUWATLI

1:33 AM ET

September 2, 2008

No Propaganda Please

Please stick to the facts. The 6 days war was officially started by Israel and that is the fact according to all sources. Even the Israeli sources say that it was in responce to Egyptian provocations (the removal of the UN troops from Sinai and the closer of the straits), but the war was started by Israel against three of its neighbours. On top of that all Arab nations declared that they are ready to acknowledge Israel and establish full deplomatic relations with it (the Saudi initiative) if Israel will implement the UN resulutions about the conflict and withdraw from all occupied lands (West Bank, Gaza, Sheba Farms, and Golan).

ARADI

9:54 PM ET

September 2, 2008

When writing on Lebanon,

When writing on Lebanon, should the Syrian occupation of that land be mentioned as well? How about the asassination of anti-Syrian leaders? The Syrian backing of Hezbollah in taking over that country?

Insisting publications must mention "occupied Syrian land" whenever talking of the Golan may be par for the course in the Arab world, but not so common where free press exists.

While rewriting history you might also consider 1978, when Egypt got every inch of the Sinai back by simply signing peace with Israel. Sinai is about twice the size of Israel, and I suppose about 10 times the size of the Golan.

Syria might try to pursue that option, but as you know the current regime be may have a hard time maintaining minority rule over the Sunnis once the "Zionist threat" excuse is gone.

BKUWATLI

9:45 AM ET

September 3, 2008

Writing on Lebanon

As brutal the Syrian involvement/ occupation of Lebanon was, we have to realize that Syria never annexed Lebanon and declared it as a part of Syria. Israel did annex the Golan in 1981 and declared it as part of Israel against all UN resolutions and international law prohibiting countries of acquiring land by force.

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