Interior Minister Roni Bar-On (Kadima) plans to accelerate the process for issuing construction permits in the Golan Heights and to shepherd new projects for the areas adjacent to the Syrian city of Quneitra through the planning committees under his ministry. The decisions follow Bar-On's tour of the Golan last week.

After seeing the heightened pace of building in Quneitra last week, Bar-On concluded that the Syrians are treating the areas near their border with Israel as the future permanent border, focusing on civilian rather than military construction as in the past. The minister said that Israel must take the same approach, and expedite construction in the area.

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Bar-On's hosts in the Golan, Golan Regional Council Head head Eli Malka and Katzrin council head Sami Bar Lev, pointed out the new construction in Quneitra and told the minister that Syria is also conducting a media campaign to attract new residents to the Quneitra area, using incentives.

Bar-On has recently expressed firm opposition to the idea of negotiating with Syria, on the grounds that Syrian President Bashar Assad should not be given support, particularly while he is still part of the "axis of evil."

"Talk about the Golan Heights harms the defensive wall built by the international community and by Israel against the axis of evil," Bar-On said. "The Golan Heights should be treated as a region of Israel in every respect."

Bar-On has said that accelerating the development of the Golan is not a provocation of Syria but rather an expression of both sides' acceptance of the future border.