Israel won’t part with Golan Heights even if global perception shifts on Syria

0
62
Israel offers security and intelligence support to UAE after deadly Houthi attack

Oct 12, 2021: Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Monday that Israel would retain the Golan Heights, which it had annexed from Syria in the 1967 war, even if international views on Damascus changed.

In 2019, then-US President Donald Trump broke ranks with other world powers by recognizing Israel as independent in the Golan Heights, which he incorporated in 1981 into an internationally unrecognized move.

Bennett’s remarks come at a time when the current US administration is blocking the legitimacy of the Golan Heights occupation by Israel and some US allied Arab states are softening stance on shunning Syrian President Bashar al-Assad responsible for civil war in Syria.

Speaking at a conference on Golan’s future, Bennett said Syria’s civil war had “convinced many in the world that perhaps it is better for this beautiful and strategic region to be in Israel’s hands.”

“The Golan Heights is Israeli, full stop.”

In his speech, Bennett pledged to double the size of the Israeli population on the Golan, which at around 20,000 is currently about equal to that of a Druze Arab community that often professes loyalty to Syria.

An official source in Syria’s foreign ministry condemned Bennett’s settlement comments.

The extension of Assad’s two-decade-old presidency in the May election has done little to change his status in the West, but fellow Arab leaders are satisfied with the fact that he has a strong grip on power.

Geopolitical views participating in the recount include Russia’s calls for Assad’s reintegration into Syria, Washington’s more regional approach, and Arab hopes for dealing with Iranian and Turkish influence in Damascus. Despite not changing policy, President Joe Biden’s administration has been cautious about Golan’s case.

Asked in a February interview whether Washington would continue to consider the area part of Israel, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken hinted at a policy review of the region, which most countries consider occupied.

Stay tuned to BaaghiTV for latest news and Updates!

PTA says fault in submarine cable has been repaired

Leave a reply