Golan Heights was seized by Israel from Syria during the so-called six-day war of 1967 and the Syrian forces made no attempt to retake the land after October 1973. The Israeli government saw the land as something that would potentially be handed over as part of a peace agreement with Syria.
Although Israeli occupation forces control at least two-thirds of Golan Heights, but no nation in the world recognizes it as Israeli. Rather it is recognized internationally, as Syrian lands forcefully occupied by Israel.
The UN Security Council resolution number 497 of 1981 was unanimous in refusing in recognizing Golan as part of Israeli territories and it stated that the land belongs to an Arab country.
US itself has several resolutions which called for Israel to withdraw from the Golan Heights and there have been several attempts to convince Israel to pull backs since its sponsored the Arab-Israeli peace talks in Madrid in 1990.
Talks were based on the premise that Israel has to return to its 1967 border in exchange for a peace deal but since the Arab Spring revolution and due to turmoil in many Arab countries, the Israeli position has hardened, and the unstable stance of US administrations has only encouraged this.
Two days ago President Trump has come out saying that the US should recognise Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, reversing half a century of US policy and his justification was it is important for its security.
This statement angered not only Arab and Muslims but the entire international community where governments have reiterated their previous and firm positions in statements which said that Israel must withdraw from all Arab territories it occupies, including the Golan Heights. Israel was urged to respect the legitimate international resolutions and the United Nations Charter.
The State of Qatar stressed in a statement its position that Golan Heights is an occupied Arab land, and strongly rejected any attempts to undermine international resolutions which confirm that Golan Heights belong to Syria and is occupied by Israel. The statement said Israeli occupation must conform to the resolutions of international legitimacy and withdraw from all occupied Arab land, including Golan Heights. For his part President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said in a speech at a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul: “We cannot allow the legitimisation of the occupation of the Golan Heights”.
It could be a major political victory for the Israeli prime minister who is campaigning for fourth term in office in a very tightly contested election and President Trump has appeared as if he is throwing his weight behind him in this campaign. Therefore, whatever support he gets or decision may be taken by the US administration may help Netanyahu to win election but will not change the reality that the Golan Heights was and will remain Syrian territory. Any US recognition of Golan as part of Israel will be a huge setback for Washington’s position from the Arab-Israeli conflict.
