Does a Change in the Status of the Golan Heights Call for a Special Majority?
The application of Israeli sovereignty to the Golan was enacted — according to a ruling of the Supreme Court (205/82, 1982) — by the Golan Heights Law (1981), which extended Israeli law, jurisdiction, and administration to the Golan Heights. According to the Law of Governmental and Legal Procedures of 1999 any change in the status of the Golan requires three steps: a Cabinet decision, Knesset ratification, and approval in a referendum. The future of the Golan is a unique, fateful, and an irreversible issue that involves a drastic change in Israel’s borders and sovereignty. It requires international treaties, causing a shock to the idea of Zionist settlement, and triggering a public controversy that is likely to cause a schism in the nation. The democratic tradition of the United States, Canada, and other democracies clearly indicates that the future of the Golan Heights requires a special majority both in the Knesset vote and in a referendum.
