Trump's Golan Heights statement provokes world anger

World
Europe

The international community on Friday expressed concern over U.S. President Donald Trump's unexpected announcement on the necessity to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

Trump said Thursday on Twitter that "after 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel's Sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!"

Syria

Syria condemned Trump's announcement on Friday, calling it "irresponsible" and a failure to recognize international law.

Trump's announcement confirmed "the blind bias of the United States to the Zionist entity (Israel)," Syria's SANA news agency cited a foreign ministry source as saying.

It won't change "the fact that the Golan was and will remain Arab and Syrian," the source said.

"The American position towards Syria's occupied Golan Heights clearly reflects the United States' contempt for international legitimacy and its flagrant violation of international law," it said.

A sign for tourists shows the direction to Jerusalem, Amman, Damascus and Baghdad among other destinations at an army post on Mount Bental in the Israeli occupied Golan Heights on March 22, 2019. /VCG photo

Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also said on Friday that Trump's statement was bringing the Middle East region "on the brink of a new crisis."

"We cannot allow the legitimization of the occupation of the Golan Heights," Erdogan said in a speech at an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Iran

Concurring with Turkey, Iran also criticized the move, saying such decision could bring about "a new wave of conflicts" in the Middle East.

"The Zionist regime is occupational and has no sovereignty over any Arab or Islamic territories," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said Friday.

"Iran will closely follow all further changes and adopt a corresponding political line in consultations with the Syrian government and other states," he said.

Tourists stand next to a silhouette sculpture of an Israeli soldier at an army post on Mount Bental in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on March 22, 2019. /VCG photo

Egypt

Egypt stressed its fixed stance of considering the Syrian Golan Heights "an occupied Arab territory," Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"Based on the resolutions of international legitimacy, Israel's impose of its laws and administration on the occupied Syrian Golan is deemed nullified and illegitimate decision," the statement said.

Arab League

On Thursday, Secretary General of the Arab League (AL) Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights is "irrelevant and illegal."

The AL completely supports the Syrian rights, noting the U.S. move constitutes dangerous repercussions towards the Israeli-Arab conflict, he added.

Russia

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova gives a briefing on January 31, 2019. /VCG photo

Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday that it would violate United Nations (UN) resolutions if the United States unilaterally recognizes Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

"Russia, as you know, advocates the principled position on the Golan Heights belonging to Syria. It is enshrined in UN Security Council Resolution 497 in 1981. Our assessment of Israel's decision to assume sovereignty over the Golan Heights and enact this decision into a law in 1981 as illegitimate is unwavering," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Kommersant FM, a local news radio station.

"Changing the status of the Golan Heights bypassing the UN Security Council is a direct violation of UN decisions," she said.

China

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang speaks at a press briefing on March 22, 2019. /Foreign ministry photo

"China has consistently advocated that all parties concerned should properly resolve territorial disputes through negotiations in accordance with relevant UN resolutions and international law," said a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Friday.

The issue is clearly stipulated in the UNSCR 242 and UNSCR 338, Geng Shuang said at a daily briefing.

The EU

The European Union (EU) underlined it does not recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights. "The position of the EU has not changed," an EU spokeswoman told Reuters. "The European Union, in line with international law, does not recognize Israel's sovereignty over the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967, including the Golan Heights, and does not consider them to be part of Israel's territory."

Iraq

Iraq rejected the call of U.S. President Donald Trump to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, said the Iraqi Foreign Ministry Saturday.

"Iraq strongly opposes the legitimization of the occupation of the Syrian Golan. The occupation is a crime against the security of humanity," Ahmed al-Sahaf, spokesman of the ministry, said in a statement.

Druze people take part in a rally in Majdal Shams near the ceasefire line between Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights, overlooking the other side of the border, October 6, 2018. /VCG Photo

"Iraq confirms that the passing of time does not give the current occupying authority any right or sovereignty over the occupied territories of the Syrian Golan, or the occupied Palestinian territories, in particular, Jerusalem," the statement said.

Jordan

Jordan on Friday said that the Golan Heights is an occupied Syrian territory in line with all international resolutions, the state-run Petra news agency reported.

"Lasting and comprehensive peace requires Israel's withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories and the Golan Heights is part of these occupied lands," said Jordan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi, adding that the UN resolution 497 for 1981 rejects Israel's decision to annex the Golan Heights.

(With input from agencies)