Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel (New Hope) pointed out that the war between Russia and Ukraine proves why Israel must remain a regional power with the capability of defending itself.

"We are learning a very important lesson here, certainly in light of the agreement taking shape with Iran," Hendel said. "Israel protects itself, by itself, and cannot be dependent on any country."

"The prime ministers in the last three decades held negotiations over the Golan Heights, Jordan Valley, and other areas," he added.

"We will not leave the Golan Heights and we will not leave the Jordan Valley in exchange for security promises. The post-war era is not real. Israel must remain a regional power which knows to defend itself. That is the central message we need to remember from this crisis."

Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War, when Syrian and Egyptian forces massed on Israel's borders and threatened to destroy the Jewish State. In 1981, former Prime Minister Menachem Begin formally annexed the strategically-vital territory. In 1990, the Israeli government considered withdrawing from the Golan Heights as part of a potential peace deal with Syria. In 2019, then-US President Donald Trump signed an order recognizing the Golan Heights as sovereign Israeli territory.