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Israel Presses Washington to Recognize Golan Heights As Part of Its Territories

Israeli soldiers walk near mobile artillery units near the border with Syria in the Golan Heights on January 27, 2015. REUTERS/Baz Ratner
Israeli soldiers walk near mobile artillery units near the border with Syria in the Golan Heights on January 27, 2015. REUTERS/Baz Ratner
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Israel Presses Washington to Recognize Golan Heights As Part of Its Territories

Israeli soldiers walk near mobile artillery units near the border with Syria in the Golan Heights on January 27, 2015. REUTERS/Baz Ratner
Israeli soldiers walk near mobile artillery units near the border with Syria in the Golan Heights on January 27, 2015. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

After the United States' recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the transfer of the US Embassy to it, Israel is pressing Washington to recognize the occupied Syrian Golan Heights as part of Israeli territories, Intelligence Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday.

In remarks to Israeli media, he said that Israel was making great efforts and was exerting friendly pressure on the administration of US President Donald Trump to recognize its sovereignty on the Golan Heights.

The Israeli minister predicted that these efforts would bear fruit with the approval of the US within months.

The Golan Heights is a strategic area in Syria, occupied since the June 1967 war. It extends over 1,200 square kilometers, giving the occupation the ability to explore large areas of Syria, Jordan and Lebanon.

The Syrian army was able to liberate it completely in the early days of the 1973 war, but withdrew from it in the last days of the war. Based on the Disengagement Agreement in 1974, Israel withdrew from part of it. In 1981, Israel enacted a law in the Knesset to annex it to Israeli sovereignty, in a move not recognized internationally.

Katz stressed that the new move was a natural extension of the US withdrawal from the international nuclear agreement with Iran, Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the opening of a new US embassy in the occupied city this month.

He noted that the Israeli presence in the Golan Heights was a security necessity for Israel and its allies, an important monitoring station for the West over the domestic and international activity in Syria and a lever for Western interests in the region.

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Spanish Foreign Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Syria Must End Violence Permanently

Attendees pose for the official group photo at the IX Conference on Syria, on the occasion of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union (EU) in Brussels, Belgium, 17 March 2025. (EPA)
Attendees pose for the official group photo at the IX Conference on Syria, on the occasion of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union (EU) in Brussels, Belgium, 17 March 2025. (EPA)
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Spanish Foreign Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Syria Must End Violence Permanently

Attendees pose for the official group photo at the IX Conference on Syria, on the occasion of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union (EU) in Brussels, Belgium, 17 March 2025. (EPA)
Attendees pose for the official group photo at the IX Conference on Syria, on the occasion of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union (EU) in Brussels, Belgium, 17 March 2025. (EPA)

Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares told Asharq Al-Awsat ahead of a European Council meeting in Brussels that European foreign ministers assured their Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani that the EU is committed to supporting the interim government to ensure humanitarian aid reaches all Syrians in need.

He confirmed that the EU would announce additional aid amounting to 10 million euros to address the basic needs of Syrian citizens.

Albares emphasized that, in return, there must be a definitive end to violence, respect for the rights of all ethnic and religious minorities, and the protection of women's rights.

Donors at a European Union-led conference on Monday pledged 5.8 billion euros ($6.3 billion) to help Syria's new authorities as they struggle with humanitarian and security problems after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

Moreover, Albares expressed satisfaction with the agreement reached between the transitional government and the Kurds, paving the way for their full integration into Syria’s peaceful future.

Contrary to expectations ahead of the Brussels donors’ conference, the European Union did not reduce its pledges to Syria but instead committed approximately 2.7 billion dollars (2.5 billion euros) for 2025 and 2026.

The majority of this funding will come in the form of direct aid through international agencies and humanitarian organizations, with no involvement from the transitional government.

The latter had insisted on sending a clear message, through Shaibani, rejecting any “foreign agendas” being imposed on Syria, according to sources at the conference.

Discussions at the conference focused on a “comprehensive peaceful transition” and reaching a political solution to ensure a stable future for Syria.

The challenges of poverty, hunger, lack of education, and the deterioration of critical infrastructure, especially in health, education, and banking sectors, were also addressed.

Sources revealed that the US withdrew from the donor group, despite the presence of American organizations and individuals at the conference.

The general atmosphere at the conference was described as positive and calm, with efforts focused on pushing the reconstruction process forward in Syria.

However, the aid provided remains minimal, covering less than 1% of Syria’s estimated $350-$400 billion reconstruction needs.