Finger of the Galilee
Encyclopedia
The Finger of the Galilee is a panhandle
along the Hula Valley in northern Israel
. It contains the towns Metula
and Kiryat Shmona
and the rivers of Dan and Banias
. Due to the conflict in 1920 between Syrian raiding parties and Jewish settlers, the Sykes-Picot Treaty was amended and the area containing the existing Jewish settlements was transferred from the French Mandate of Lebanon
to the British Mandate of Palestine.
For Israelis, these events provided models for Jewish settlers through the symbols of the Battle of Tel Hai
and of the courage of the handicapped Joseph Trumpeldor
, symbols that continue to evoke strong feelings even today.
For the Lebanese, and most recently, Hizbullah, the cession of territory by an imperialist power was illegitimate as the residents of the conquered territory were not consulted. This parallels the cession of the Province of Alexandretta also known as Hatay Province
by the French Mandate of Syria
to Turkey
prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. This territory, together with several other more minor territorial claims, continues to offer a casus belli
for militant groups based in Lebanon, although the Lebanese government has not officially claimed the territory. Today the region is home to over 30,000 people, almost all of them Israeli Jews.
Panhandle
A panhandle is an informal geographic term for an elongated arm-like protrusion of a geo-political entity, such as a subnational entity or a sovereign state.-Term:...
along the Hula Valley in northern Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. It contains the towns Metula
Metula
Metula is a town in the Northern District of Israel. Metula is located between the sites of the Biblical cities of Dan, Abel Bet Maacah, and Ijon, bordering Lebanon.-Early history:...
and Kiryat Shmona
Kiryat Shmona
Kiryat Shmona is a city located in the North District of Israel on the western slopes of the Hula Valley on the Lebanese border. The city was named for the eight people, including Joseph Trumpeldor, who died in 1920 defending Tel Hai....
and the rivers of Dan and Banias
Banias
Banias is an archaeological site by the ancient city of Caesarea Philippi, located at the foot of Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights...
. Due to the conflict in 1920 between Syrian raiding parties and Jewish settlers, the Sykes-Picot Treaty was amended and the area containing the existing Jewish settlements was transferred from the French Mandate of Lebanon
French Mandate of Lebanon
The state of Greater Lebanon, the predecessor of modern Lebanon, was created in 1920 as part of the French scheme of dividing the French Mandate of Syria into six states....
to the British Mandate of Palestine.
For Israelis, these events provided models for Jewish settlers through the symbols of the Battle of Tel Hai
Tel Hai
Tel Hai is the modern name of a settlement in northern Israel, the site of an early battle in the Arab–Israeli conflict, and of a noted monument, tourist attraction, and a college...
and of the courage of the handicapped Joseph Trumpeldor
Joseph Trumpeldor
Joseph Trumpeldor , was an early Zionist activist. He helped organize the Zion Mule Corps and bring Jewish immigrants to the Land of Israel. Trumpeldor died defending the settlement of Tel Hai in 1920 and subsequently became a Zionist national hero...
, symbols that continue to evoke strong feelings even today.
For the Lebanese, and most recently, Hizbullah, the cession of territory by an imperialist power was illegitimate as the residents of the conquered territory were not consulted. This parallels the cession of the Province of Alexandretta also known as Hatay Province
Hatay Province
Hatay Province is a province in southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast. It is bordered by Syria to the south and east and the Turkish provinces of Adana and Osmaniye to the north. The province is part of Çukurova, a geographical, economical and cultural region that covers the provinces of...
by the French Mandate of Syria
French Mandate of Syria
Officially the French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon was a League of Nations mandate founded after the First World War and the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire...
to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. This territory, together with several other more minor territorial claims, continues to offer a casus belli
Casus belli
is a Latin expression meaning the justification for acts of war. means "incident", "rupture" or indeed "case", while means bellic...
for militant groups based in Lebanon, although the Lebanese government has not officially claimed the territory. Today the region is home to over 30,000 people, almost all of them Israeli Jews.