"The Golan Bill" Revived: Israel Will Not Give Up Golan Heights

The Knesset has revived discussion over a bill that would require a two-thirds majority of Parliament or a national referendum before any pullout from the Golan Heights. Although there are many more steps before the bill becomes law, it holds important implications for the peace process.

Arik Bender in Ma'ariv reports:

The Netanyahu government has given a green light to holding a referendum over the fate of the Golan Heights.

Tomorrow a special committee headed by Likud faction chair MK Zeev Elkin will convene to revive the bill that would oblige a referendum to be held about [evacuating] the Golan Heights.

The bill seeks to stipulate that in the event that the government should decide either to concede a certain swath of territory or to ratify an agreement that changes the borders of the State of Israel, that government decision must be supported in a national referendum. The bill was drafted to complement the Golan Heights Preservation Law, which obliges an absolute majority of 61 MKs to make any concession on the Golan Heights.

The Golan referendum bill was voted on following its first reading on July 17, 2008 and was passed by a majority of 65 to 18. The legislative process was interrupted thereafter because of the early elections that were called. One of the chief supporters of the bill at the time was the then opposition chairman, Binyamin Netanyahu.

MK Elkin...added that the significance of the bill was clear: "If an agreement about concessions the Golan is presented to the government for ratification, a referendum has to be held. I don't see any problem with this because even Yitzhak Rabin, who was prepared to withdraw from the entire Golan Heights, supported holding a referendum."

MK Uri Ariel, one of the sponsors of the bill, said last night: "Our message with this bill is clear. The people of Israel won't give up the Golan Heights, which are Israel's eyes."

MK Zvulun Orlev said that having the bill approved by the special committee would send a clear signal to the Obama administration: "Binyamin Netanyahu can tell Obama that the State of Israel is a democratic, independent state that takes its fate into its own hands, even if that doesn't conform to the new Obama administration's intentions."

One political source in the Knesset explained yesterday that it would be easier for Netanyahu to embrace the idea of a referendum since he had voiced his support for that notion over the course of many years. That being the case, Netanyahu's support for a referendum should not be construed as a gambit that is designed to scuttle the American peace initiative, he said.