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Israel/Zionism See other Israel/Zionism Articles Title: UN commander in Golan 'worried by Israel's actions' Major-General Wolfgang Jilke has a very special privilege: He can have breakfast in Tel Aviv, get into his blue Volvo and make it in time for lunch in Damascus. "It only takes four hours," the Austrian officer says with a smile. Jilke commands the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, comprised of 1,300 troops maintaining the ceasefire between Israel and Syria on the Golan Heights since 1974. The UN troops observe the two countries' lineup of forces on a 50-kilometer (31.05-mile) strip – 25 kilometers (15.525 miles) east and west of the Yom Kippur War's ceasefire line. Jilke was appointed to the role on February 2007, when he was provided with the unique ability to become deeply familiar with the two sides of the border. Contrary to the Israeli outlook, which views Syria as a strategic threat, Jilke says that Israel is the one escalating the crisis between the two countries. "The tensions on the Golan Heights have not been so high in years. I am very worried," he says. Room for concern Jilke is the typical product of a year-long militaristic Prussian education. He is the third generation of a family of officers, and takes pride in the fact that his grandfather was part of the royal guard of German Emperor Wilhelm II, while his other grandfather fought in elite forces of the Austro-Hungarian army. At the age of 58, he is till slim and muscular. He stands erect and his uniform is ironed, his hair is neatly combed and he talks in an accurate and meticulous manner – a true officer. This is not the first time he arrives at the Golan Heights. As a young lieutenant, he volunteered to serve in the UN forces, and was one of the first soldiers who arrived to maintain the ceasefire on the Golan Heights, when UNDOF was established. He views his return to the area as the commander of the same force as closure. He is determined to maintain a state of calm, and his deep concern motivated him to give Ynet a special interview. Jilke is well-aware of the concern in Israel and of the remarks made by officers and politicians regarding the Syrian preparedness and arming, but he is mainly concerned by Israel's actions. According to him, there are no special forces on the Syrian side that are capable of attacking Israel. "On the Syrian side I do not notice any unusual preparations," he says. "On the Israeli side, however, we see intensive activity… Israel's right to defend itself must be obvious, but its current activities do not contribute to the efforts to diminish the tensions in the region… The Israeli conduct definitely does not contribute to calming the Syrians down." The UNDOF commander is not worried by Syria's arming activities, although his soldiers would be the first victims should a war break out. "We must remember that the antitank and antiaircraft missiles Syria is purchasing do not provide it with offensive abilities. Syria is renewing its weapon inventory like any other army in the world. I don't view that as an unusual behavior," he says. In light of the balance of power, Jilke estimates that "the chances the Syrians will surprise Israel are very low, and in any case, the Israelis are prepared in a way that guarantees an advantage and the ability to fight back." 'Syrian trucks barely work' UNDOF sources, who likened the Golan to a “crowded military camp”, told Ynet of the poor state of Syrian forces. “Their trucks barely work, their tanks are rusty,” sources said. “In Syria, you see three soldiers with one shovel trying to prepare pits in the hard rocks of the Heights. On the Israeli side, we see bulldozers working on dirt,” they explained. According to the sources, it has also become difficult for them to keep contact with IDF forces. “Your chief of staff works the officers day and night, they have almost no time to meet with us,” UNDOF sources said. Upon his return to the area about six months ago, Jilke said he found a very different situation than that which he had left. Up until several years ago, the Syrian side of the border was abandoned, the villages nearly empty. According to him, only 5,000 people resided in the area controlled by UNDOF in 1974. Since Bashar al-Assad came into power, residents of Damascus began populating the scattered strip, which now has nearly 100,000 Syrian residents. The growing number of citizens poses a problem for UN forces, which have become smaller relative to the amount of people they have to look after. 'Situation at the border could erupt' Jilke claims that since March, Israel has changed the rules. The Alpha Line is the eastern line that IDF soldiers are allowed to reach. West of the line, a security fence and petroleum road were built. In some areas, the fence is several hundred meters away from the Alpha Line. Through the years, Syrian shepherds and farmers began making use of the land, which is legally controlled by Israel, even though IDF soldiers refrained from entering the land. Since March, Israeli troops renewed their patrol east of the fence, blocking all access to Syrians who had worked the land until then. IDF soldiers arrested Syrian citizens who entered the land on three occasions, questioning them for several hours. According to Jilke, the situation at the border could potentially erupt. “I’m worried. In light of the tense atmosphere that has been created here, a little incident could ignite a real fire in an instant,” he says. Advertisement However, Jilke says he is calm in the knowledge that “neither of the sides has a real will to lead to conflict”. Despite the image of Syria as an inciter of war, Jilke said the local residents and the soldiers posted in the area wanted calm. “When you ask a young Syrian soldier what he things of Israel, he won’t tell you that he wants to fight in order to return the Golan to his homeland. Quite the opposite; he will say that he is very curios and would like to visit Jerusalem and Tel Aviv as a tourist, to see how people live here. “The deeper you go in the area’s history, you learn that people of all nations always get along better with each other than their governments,” he concludes.
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#1. To: Eoghan (#0)
Thus has it always been. War is the health of the state.
"It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brush fires of freedom in the minds of men." -- Samuel Adams (1722-1803)
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