Pompeo visits the Golan Heights, Syria condemns: Blatant provocation
US Secretary of State Pompeo visited the Golan Heights on the 19th
and became the first US Secretary of State to visit the place.
Reuters reported on the 19th that during his visit to Jerusalem that day
Pompeo said, “Today, I will have the opportunity to visit the Golan Heights.
Recognizing the Golan Heights as part of Israel is a feature made by President Trump in 2019.
A decision of historical significance. This is merely an acknowledgment of reality.”
Pompeo’s visit to the Golan Heights
Syrian officials issued a statement on the 19th calling on the international community and the United Nations to condemn this “provocative” visit, saying that Pompeo’s trip violated international resolutions.
The statement said, “This visit is a provocative move before the end of the Trump administration and a flagrant violation of our sovereignty.”
Golan Heights is a narrow strip of southwestern Syria.
Israel occupied this strategic location in the Third Middle East War in 1967, exercised control and jurisdiction over it, and refused to return it to Syria. The international community does not recognize this area as Israeli territory.
Resolution 497 passed by the United Nations Security Council in 1981 clearly stated that Israel’s decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administrative institutions on the Golan Heights is “completely invalid and has no international legal effect”.
