Netanyahu concedes to Golan residents, halts wind turbine plans

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
25 Jun 2023 00:38
2 Shares

Following fierce rejection from residents of the occupied Syrian Golan, the Israeli occupation PM freezes the work on wind turbines in the region until after Eid Al-Adha.

Residents of the occupied Syrian Golan confront Israeli occupation police who fired tear gas as thousands took part in demonstrations against wind turbine construction, on June 21, 2023 (AP)

According to Al Mayadeen's correspondent, the spiritual head of the Druze community in Palestine, Sheikh Muwafaq Tarif held a meeting with several thousand people in Kafr Yasif, where they declared their solidarity with the residents of the occupied Syrian Golan.

Israeli media announced that Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the halting of the work on the wind farm despite the statements of Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who considered that "the work also needs to continue tomorrow."

Netanyahu's office quoted the PM as saying that he met with Tarif and informed him of the decision to respond to the request to refrain from resuming work in the Golan until after Eid Al-Adha.

According to the I24NEWS website, Netanyahu met with Tarif in his office in occupied Al-Quds, in the presence of the head of the Shin Bet, Ronan Bar.

It added that Netanyahu ordered the work stoppage at the recommendation of Bar and occupation Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai.

Days ago, Al Mayadeen reported that large crowds of Golan residents headed to the turbine company's work sites with the aim of confronting the occupation plans, adding that the occupation forces blocked crossroads leading to agricultural lands to prevent protesters from reaching the sites.

On Tuesday, the people of the occupied Syrian Golan confronted the Israeli occupation forces after the latter sought to take over their farmland, underlining their categorical refusal to set up wind turbines on their land.

In addition, the Israeli occupation forces attacked demonstrators from the occupied Syrian Golan with gas bombs, which resulted in several injuries.

The people of the occupied Golan are heavily opposed to the Israeli occupation project that aims to set up 32 new wind turbines and would violate around 4,500 dunams of land owned by Syrian farmers in Majdel Shams and Masaade.

Each wind turbine is around 200 meters high, not to mention the roads leading in and out of where the project is set to be and the vast areas that will be confiscated for use in maintenance and storage