Damascus has pushed back against the Israeli government’s plan to expand Golan Heights settlements
The Syrian government has sharply denounced an Israeli plan to double the population of Jewish settlers in the occupied Golan Heights – captured from Damascus in 1967 – arguing the move is fomenting tensions.
In a statement on Monday, the Syrian Foreign Ministry rejected the latest Jewish settlement expansion plan, arguing it is a violation of international law.
“The government of the Syrian Arab Republic strongly condemns the unprecedented dangerous escalation by the Israeli occupation authorities in the occupied Syrian Golan and their persistence in settlement practices and massive and systematic violations that amount to war crimes,” the ministry said, accusing Tel Aviv of “confiscation of land and property” and the “theft of natural resources” in the occupied region.
Syria strongly condemns unprecedented escalation by Israeli occupation in Golanhttps://t.co/h1AX79N6eD
— SANAEnglishOfficial (@SANAEnOfficial) December 27, 2021
The Israeli government approved the $317 million settlement plan over the weekend, aiming to double the number of settlers in the Golan Heights over the next five years with investments into housing and infrastructure. Officials hope to encourage around 23,000 new settlers into the area, which Israel has occupied since the Six Day War in 1967, during which it also captured Gaza, the West Bank and parts of the Sinai.
In an interview with local media on Monday, Syria’s Foreign Minister Faisal al-Miqdad insisted on his country’s right to the “entire occupied Golan,” and argued Syrian sovereignty there “is not subject to negotiation or concession.”
“All the measures taken by ‘Israel’ – the occupying power – to change [the Golan Heights’] natural and demographic features or impose its jurisdiction over it are null and void,” the FM said, adding that Israel has no authority under international law, citing a 1981 United Nations Security Council Resolution which called on Tel Aviv to rescind its claim to the territory.
Syria’s ruling Baath Party also harshly denounced the settlement plan on Monday, saying Israel’s “quest to double the number of settlers” in the Golan was a “massive aggression against Syria” and a “blatant violation” of international law.
Tel Aviv, for its part, has long insisted on its territorial claims in the region, which was recognized by the United States under President Donald Trump in 2019, the first foreign state to endorse the ongoing occupation. Though the Joe Biden administration has been less vocally supportive of Israel since coming to power, the president has signaled that he will not change US policy as it relates to Golan, and will continue to formally recognize the Israeli claim.
READ MORE: Syrian air defenses respond to ‘Israeli aggression’ – state media
source: RT
Împotriva articolelor redacției noastre, persoanele nemulțumite pot formula Contestație în termen de 10 zile de la publicarea articolului, la judecătoria Orășenească nr. 1 München Bayern Deutschland, in conformitate cu Legea federală Germană. Considerăm că nu se pot formula acțiuni la instanțele din România deoarece nici o persoană care activează în trustul nostru nu poate fi extrasă de sub jurisdicția federală germană. Considerăm că redacția noastră nu răspunde în fața autorităților din România ci doar celor federale sau civile germane. deoarece legea română nu are efecte de extraneitate asupra redacției chiar dacă subiectul știrilor face obiectul unor evenimente sau persoane din România și sunt scrise în limba română. Limba română nu este izvor de extraneitate a legii.
