Middle East 689
Coding changes: Start Date changed from October 6, 1973. End Date changed from
October 31, 1973.
MID#3437
Dispute Number: 3437
Date(s): November 6, 1973 to May 31, 1974
Participants: 652 Syria/666 Israel
Outcome (and Settlement): Victory for side B (Negotiated)
Fatalities: 26–100 deaths
Narrative: Syria moved to take control of much of the Golan at the end of the
Yom Kippur War. However, they were pushed back in a strong Israeli retaliation
that brought Israeli tanks within miles of Damascus, and no agreement was reached
between Syrian and Israel when a ceasefire was reached on October 25, 1973. Small
skirmishes followed with Israel suffering most of the fatalities over the next six
months. Finally, US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger practiced “shuttle diplomacy”
and traveled between both countries until a Separation of Forces Agreement was
signed by both sides on May 31, 1974. Both armed forces withdrew, and the United
Nations Disengagement Observer Force was tasked with overseeing the return of the
Golan Heights to Syria. This force is still in place as no agreement has been made on
the return of territory.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from November 7, 1973. Fatalities changed
from Missing.
MID#3438
Dispute Number: 3438
Date(s): June 8, 1974 to October 20, 1975
Participants: 652 Syria/666 Israel
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (Negotiated)
Fatalities: 1–25 deaths
Narrative: Small skirmishes renewed after Israel and Syria signed the disengagement
agreement on May 31, 1974. The agreement detailed the withdrawal of troops to a
United Nations-mandated buffer zone, an exchange of prisoners, and the establish-
ment of the UN Disengagement and Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights.
However, not long after UNDOF was put into place, there were frequent skirmishes
and exchanges of artillery fire across the UN buffer zone by both guerrillas in Syria and
Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). There were also charges from both sides that their rival
was advancing into the UN buffer zone. By November 1974, Israel began to think that
Syria was preparing to invade and put the IDF on high alert and mobilized its troops.
With reassurance from the United States, Israel backed down and a major confrontation
was averted. The border then calmed from January until mid-summer of 1975, and by
early fall there were bilateral talks trying to reach a more permanent settlement regard-
ing the Golan Heights. However, a settlement eluded the parties, and both countries
agreed to maintain the status quo of a buffer zone controlled by UNDOF.
Coding changes: Fatalities changed from None.