{"id":26002,"date":"2025-06-08T02:00:48","date_gmt":"2025-06-07T23:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/?p=26002"},"modified":"2025-06-08T00:00:30","modified_gmt":"2025-06-07T21:00:30","slug":"the-collapse-of-a-50-year-agreement-never-trust-a-smiling-terrorist-in-a-suit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/the-collapse-of-a-50-year-agreement-never-trust-a-smiling-terrorist-in-a-suit\/","title":{"rendered":"The Collapse Of A 50-Year Agreement: Never Trust A Smiling Terrorist In A Suit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Exactly fifty years ago, on 31 May 1974, Israel and Syria signed the disengagement agreement that formally ended the Yom Kippur War on the northern front, along with the grueling war of attrition that followed. The agreement was born out of Israel\u2019s desire for quiet along its northern border. It defined the boundary lines and military arrangements that remained officially in effect for five decades\u2014until the fall of the Assad regime and the launch of Operation Arrow of Bashan on December 8, 2024.<\/p>\n

Background to the Agreement<\/strong>
Following the Yom Kippur War, when the ceasefire came into effect on 21 October 1973, the IDF held not only the Israeli Golan Heights but also a salient within Syrian territory\u2014some 400 square kilometers including dozens of villages, volcanic hills, and the summit of Mount Hermon. The tip of the Israeli advance came within 40 kilometers of Damascus.<\/p>\n

However, quiet did not return to the border. The war of attrition persisted with thousands of skirmishes, daily shelling of IDF posts and civilian communities, and fierce fighting particularly over the Hermon ridge. Any delay in the diplomatic negotiations triggered renewed escalations. Talks began based on UN Security Council Resolution 339, but broke down early on: Syria demanded immediate withdrawal; Israel demanded a list of prisoners and Red Cross access.<\/p>\n

Henry Kissinger, then U.S. Secretary of State, launched a whirlwind shuttle diplomacy effort. In February 1974, he secured a list of Israeli POWs in exchange for a promise to hand over the town of Quneitra to the Syrians\u2014thus launching serious negotiations. Fighting continued in parallel, and the IDF kept its reserve forces mobilized as a pressure tactic against Syrian demands for further withdrawals.<\/p>\n

In the end, Israel agreed to withdraw from the salient it had captured in Syria and from limited areas west of the \u201cPurple Line\u201d in the Golan. In return, a 235-square-kilometer buffer zone was established under the supervision of UNDOF, the UN Disengagement Observer Force. Negotiations were accompanied by misunderstandings that led to crises\u2014and, at times, renewed hostilities. For example, while Israel agreed to hand over the city of Quneitra, Syria interpreted this as a concession of the entire Quneitra pocket, including Mount Avital and Mount Bental.<\/p>\n

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View from Mount Bental | Photo: Yonatan Sindel\/Flash90<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Main Elements of the Agreement: Boundary Lines, Buffer Zone, International Oversight<\/strong>
The agreement established an immediate ceasefire and the return of prisoners of war. Israel committed to withdraw from all territory captured in the Syrian salient in October 1973, including around Quneitra, and from several small pockets in the Golan.<\/p>\n

Two lines of separation were defined: a blue line for Israel and a red line for Syria, with a buffer zone between them\u2014mostly on the Syrian side. Israel\u2019s separation line closely matched the pre-war boundary, except for a few points in the southern Golan and around Quneitra, which were included in the buffer zone.<\/p>\n

Watch IDF soldiers after the signing of the agreement:<\/strong><\/p>\n