Golan will remain Syrian, vows President al-Sharaa at UN

United Nations – Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa insisted at the UN Wednesday that the Golan Heights region will remain Syrian after Colombia last month recognized Israeli sovereignty over the strategically important territory. “Any attempts that violate our sovereignty, violate international law, will be stopped. Golan will remain Syrian territories,” al-Sharaa said at the UN meeting of world leaders in New York.

Colombia’s new hard-right government in August recognized Israel’s claim over the Golan Heights, which it captured from Syria in 1967. The United States had until then been the only country to recognize Israel’s annexation of the territory in 1981. The United Nations maintains that the plateau is Syrian territory under Israeli military occupation. In July UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated that the Golan Heights were part of Syria, describing Israeli occupation as “totally unacceptable. ” Al-Sharaa also used his second turn at the UN rostrum to denounce repeated Israeli…