U.N. Security Council Unanimously Condemns U.S. Recognition of Israel’s Golan Heights

The Associated Press
The Associated Press
Ben Kew

The United Nations Security Council unanimously condemned President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize the Golan Heights as part of Israel territory, citing a violation of previous council resolutions.

All 14 speakers at Wednesday’s council meeting opposed the decision taken by Trump last week, who said that “[a]fter 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!”

Israel’s sovereignty over the area has long been a source of international debate. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and imposed Israeli law on the territory in 1981, effectively annexing the area. Syrian forces temporarily overran sections of the Golan Heights during the 1973 war, but they were ultimately defeated in what amounted to an unsuccessful attempt to destroy Israel.

“This unilateral action does nothing to assist in finding a long-term peaceful solution to the conflict in the Middle East,” said South Africa’s U.N. Ambassador Jerry Matjila.

“If anybody feels any temptation to follow this poor example, we would urge them to refrain from this aggressive revision of international law,” added Russia’s Deputy Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov.

The European Union also rejected the move, writing in a statement Wednesday that it was the “unanimous position” of all 28 member states not to change their stance in line with U.N. resolutions that class the area as an occupied territory.

Earlier this month, the State Department referred to the area in its annual global human rights report as “Israeli controlled,” marking a distinct shift in tone from having previously labeled the area as “occupied.”

As explained by Breitbart News’s Aaron Klein, there are a variety of reasons why the Trump administration has decided on such a move, including the fact it advances U.S. security interests and the safety of Israel from hostile forces.

“As a key U.S. ally, Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights serves as a pro-Western anchor to ensure against Iranian, Syrian and Russian designs in the area,” Klein noted. “Besides Iran, Russia is the other main powerbroker in Syria, where Moscow maintains major military installations including its massive naval facility in Tartus and the Khmeimim, Tiyas and Shayrat airbases.”

Follow Ben Kew on Facebook, Twitter at @ben_kew, or email him at bkew@breitbart.com.

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