Syria and its allies have condemned Donald Trump's declaration that America should recognise Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
The Foreign Ministry in Damascus vowed it would use 'every possible means' to 'liberate' the region and described the US President's statement as a threat to international peace and stability.
It said his comments on Twitter confirm 'the blind bias of the United States to the Zionist entity,' referring to Israel, and added that the statement won't change 'the fact that the Golan was and will remain Arab and Syrian.'
It comes as Russia branded the move 'irresponsible' and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the declaration has brought the region 'to the brink of a new crisis and new tensions.'
Trump's statement was immediately welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who thanked the President for his 'bold' move
The strategic plateau (pictured in file image) was seized from Syria by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War and has been disputed ever since. Israel unilaterally annexed the area in 1981 , but the subsequent U.N. Security Council resolution 497 refers to Israel as 'the occupying power'
The 690 square mile Golan Heights region lies is claimed by both Israel and Syria. It borders Lebanon to the north and Jordan to the south
Russia warned that such a policy U-turn could fan the flames of new conflict in the region.
'Certainly, such appeals can considerably destabilise an already tense situation in the Middle East,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
'In any case, this idea in itself does not in any way contribute to the goals and objectives of a Middle East settlement, but rather the opposite,' he said.
'It's just a call for now, hopefully it will remain a call.'
Russia's Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also described the move as 'irresponsible', according to state-owned news agency RIA.
This sentiment was echoed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who said Trump's 'unfortunate' declaration has brought the region 'to the brink of a new crisis and new tensions.'
What is the origin of the dispute over Golan Heights?
Golan Heights is 690 square mile region of rocky highland in the Levant.
In the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel seized the Heights from Syria, and most Syrian Arab residents of Golan Heights fled during the conflict.
After the armistice, Israel began to settle the area and unilaterally annexed it in 1981.
There are now estimated to be some 20,000 Israelis and 20,000 Syrians living in the area.
But the international community considers the Heights to be a part of Syria that is occupied by Israel.
An Israeli soldier stands next to signs pointing out distances to different cities, on Mount Bental, an observation post in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that overlooks the Syrian side of the Quneitra crossing. Golan Heights is an invaluable vantage point of Israel to monitor Syrian movements
Though relatively small, the area is of significant political and strategic importance - bordering Israel, Lebanon and Jordan.
It provides Israel an ideal look-out point, as much of southern Syria including the capital Damascus can be viewed from the top of the heights.
The area is also a key source of water in the dry Levant and provides one third of Israel's water supply.
Decades of talks have unraveled over the issue of the border - Syria wants a return to the pre-1967 boundaries but Israel has refused.
This is because those boundaries would again give Syria control of the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, which is currently Israel's main source of fresh water.
Instead, Israel wants the border to be laid just a few hundred metres to the east of the shore.
Talks have also been hampered by the election in 2009 of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who takes a hard-line approach as well as the onset of civil war in Syria in 2011.
'We will never allow the legitimization of the occupation of the Golan Heights,' Erdogan added.
Trump's announcement on Thursday signifies a major shift in American policy and gives Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a political boost a month before what is expected to be a close election.
Israel captured the strategic highlands from Syria during the Six-Day War in 1967 and unilaterally annexed the 690 square mile region in 1981.
The Trump administration has been considering recognizing Israel's sovereignty there for some time, and Netanyahu pressed the matter with visiting Secretary of State Mike Pompeo earlier this week.
The U.N. Security Council resolution 497, issued after the annexation, refers to Israel as 'the occupying power' and says Israel's attempt to 'impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights is null and void and without international legal effect.'
Syria's foreign ministry and its allies have slammed Trump's call for Israeli control of Golan Heights (pictured) to be recognised, with many warning of the 'irresponsible' threat to peace in the region
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (left) shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during their visit to Netanyahu's official residence in Jerusalem on Thursday. Netanyahu has praised President Donald Trump's recognition of its control over the Golan Heights as a holiday 'miracle'
Damascus said Trump's statement 'clearly shows the U.S. disdain to the international legitimacy and violates its resolutions, especially Security Council resolution 497' while also threatening 'international peace and stability.'
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also expressed his shock at the American stance.
'All shocked by @realDonaldTrump continuing to try to give what is not his to racist Israel: first Al-Quds & now Golan' Zarif tweeted from Istanbul where he was attending an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Meanwhile, Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit reminded critics that Trump's notion 'comes outside the international legitimacy and no country, no matter how important it is, can make such a decision.'
This was backed up by the European Union, which emphasized that it does not recognise Israel's sovereignty in Golan Heights.
'The position of the EU has not changed,' an EU spokeswoman said.
'The European Union, in line with international law, does not recognise Israel's sovereignty over the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967, including the Golan Heights and does not consider them to be part of Israel's territory.'
The U.S. will be the first country to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, whose status the rest of the international community believe should be determined by negotiations between Israel and Syria.
Attempts to bring Israel and Syria to the table have failed.
A German government spokeswoman said that the area was Syrian territory occupied by Israel.
'If national borders should be changed it must be done through peaceful means between all those involved,' Ulrike Demmer said. 'The government rejects unilateral steps.'
It was not immediately clear how a U.N. peacekeeping force that is in place in the Golan might be affected by the U.S. move. That force's mandate expires at the end of June.
There had been signals that a U.S. decision was coming. Last week, in its annual human rights report, the State Department dropped the phrase 'Israeli-occupied' from the Golan Heights section, instead calling it 'Israeli-controlled.'
Link hienalouca.comhttps://hienalouca.com/2019/03/22/syria-slams-trump-statement-on-israel-sovereignty-in-golan/
Main photo article Syria and its allies have condemned Donald Trump’s declaration that America should recognise Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
The Foreign Ministry in Damascus vowed it would use ‘every possible means’ to ‘liberate’ the region and described the US ...
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Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca
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