Water Wars | Israel & Syria's Battle for the Golan Heights Explained

The Golan Heights is a high altitude strategic plateau at the heart of one of the most complex territorial disputes in the Middle East. The region, known for its breathtaking landscapes and strategic significance, has been contested between Israel and Syria for decades. Syria and Israel both claim the Golan Heights as their sovereign territory, but Israel currently controls it. Beyond competing for military control, the Israel-Syria conflict has its roots in a resource dispute, and a war over water. The Golan Heights were controlled by Syria until the 1967 Six-Day War, when it was occupied and later annexed by Israel. Through the Yom Kippur War and War of Attrition, Israel held onto this territory. It has remained a flashpoint in the Arab-Israeli conflict. In 2024, the Golan Heights were in the centre of a geopolitical storm once again, when the Syrian civil war reignited, and Israel moved troops into a buffer zone along the Israel-Syria border. Using footage from my journey along the Israel-Syria border in the Golan heights, this video explores the complex and ongoing conflict between Israel and Syria over this contested region. 00:00-01:38 - The Golan Heights: Introduction 01:39-03:22 - The Original Israel-Syria Border 03:22-04:27 - Cycling to the Golan Heights 04:28-05:37 - 1948 First Arab-Israeli War 05:38-07:04 - Israel's Jordan River Diversion 07:05-10:15 - Who Was Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt? 10:16-11:42 - Israel Starts Building the River Diversion 11:43-13:55 - The War Over Water 13:56-16:38 - The 1967 Six-Day War 16:39-17:46 - The War of Attrition 17:47-20:31 - The 1973 Yom Kippur War 20:32-21:22 - Egypt Makes Peace with Israel 21:23-23:05 - Egypt-Syria Alliance Breaks Down 23:06-24:09 - Syria Intervenes in Lebanese Civil War 24:10-25:32 - Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution 25:33-27:05 - Iran's Axis of Resistance 27:06-28:27 - The 2011 Arab Spring 28:28-30:44 - The Syrian Civil War 30:45-34:45 - My Journey Through Golan Heights 34:46-36:42 - Trump Heights: USA Recognises Israeli Sovereignty in Golan Heights 36:43-42:34 - Journey Along the Israel-Syria Buffer Zone 42:35-46:02 - The Syrian Civil War Reignites 46:03-48:02 - Israel Moves into Buffer Zone on Golan Heights 48:02-49:34 - Journey Back to Northern Israel's Lowlands #GolanHeights #Israel #Syria #MiddleEastConflict #israelsyria #Geopolitics