An old military vehicle can be seen positioned near the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights. IMAGE: AMMAR AWAD/REUTERS
The US is rejecting a UN General Assembly resolution that urges Israel to return the Golan Heights to Syria, according to US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley stated on November 16.
“Given the resolution’s anti-Israel bias, as well as the militarization of the Syrian Golan border, and a worsening humanitarian crisis, this year the United States has decided to vote no on the resolution,” Haley said.
The non-binding resolution is annually voted on by the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee. The document adresses the “illegality of the decision” by Israel “to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the occupied Syrian Golan”. The resolution says this is running counter to international law.
There have been little doubts that the Trump administration will stronghly oppose to this resolution.
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon praised Haley’s announcement as “the change in the American voting pattern” which Danon said is “another testament to the strong cooperation between the two countries”.
“It is time for the world to distinguish between those who stabilize the region and those who sow terror,” he stated once again showcasing the ongoing Israeli conflict with Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas.
In early September, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman told the Israeli newspaper Hayom that he believes that the Trump administration could recognize the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights as part of the Jewish state. If this really takes place, the situation in the region will escalate even further.
The onoing round of escalation took place after the Trump administration recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and kicked off its large-scale anti-Iranian campaign using a wide range of diplomatic, economic and even military measures.
