A US envoy walks back his comments on Golan Heights that contradicted Trump’s position
Summary
A U.S. envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, corrected his earlier statement that said Israel "still" occupies the Golan Heights in violation of U.N. resolutions. His correction reaffirmed that U.S. policy, set by President Donald Trump in 2019, recognizes Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, despite international disagreement.Key Facts
- The Golan Heights was captured by Israel from Syria in the 1967 war and annexed in 1981.
- Most countries and the United Nations consider the Golan Heights occupied Syrian land and reject Israel’s annexation.
- In 2019, President Donald Trump changed U.S. policy to officially recognize Israeli control over the Golan Heights.
- Ambassador Tom Barrack initially said Israel "still" occupies the territory, which conflicted with U.S. policy.
- Barrack clarified that his comment was about the history of the territory, not U.S. policy, and affirmed Trump’s 2019 decision remains unchanged.
- Barrack also criticized recent Israeli strikes in northern Syria, which Israel said aimed to stop Turkey from gaining a military presence there.
- Israeli officials defended the strikes as based on strong intelligence to protect their security from Turkey.
- The incident increased tensions between Israel and Turkey due to Turkey’s influence in Syria after Bashar Assad’s government weakened.
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