Syria has criticized the United States President Donald Trump’s comments on recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights as “irresponsible”.
According to BBC news reports, a statement by the Syrian state news agency has said the country accused Trump of “blind bias” towards Israel. It said Syria was much determined to recover the region “through all available means”.
Israel has captured the Golan Heights region in 1967 from Syria and annexed it in 1981 in a move which was not recognized internationally. Israel wanted to have the military presence of arch-foe Iran in Syria, which has grown very stronger throughout the past eight-year conflicts.
On Thursday, the US president said it was time to recognize the sovereignty of Israel over the Golan Heights. In a tweet, he said the plateau was of “critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and regional stability!”
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, has thanked Trump over a telephonic conversation, telling him “you’ve made history”.
Syrian statement carried by the Sana news agency saidTrump’s comments had shown “contempt” for the international law and that they would not change “the reality that the Golan was and will remain Syrian, Arab”.
The unnamed foreign ministry source added, “The Syrian nation is more determined to liberate this precious piece of Syrian national land through all available means.”
Trump has also faced strong condemnation from Syrian allies – Russia, saying any change to the Golan’s status would be a direct violation of UN‘ decision, Iran calling America position as “illegal and unacceptable”, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying Trump’s remarks had “brought the region to the brink of a new crisis”, and Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit saying the announcement was “completely beyond international law”.