US Says Not Changing Recognition of Israeli Sovereignty over Golan Heights

The border fence between the Israeli Golan Heights and the Syrian governorate of Quneitra on February 15, 2021. (AFP)
The border fence between the Israeli Golan Heights and the Syrian governorate of Quneitra on February 15, 2021. (AFP)
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US Says Not Changing Recognition of Israeli Sovereignty over Golan Heights

The border fence between the Israeli Golan Heights and the Syrian governorate of Quneitra on February 15, 2021. (AFP)
The border fence between the Israeli Golan Heights and the Syrian governorate of Quneitra on February 15, 2021. (AFP)

The US State Department denied on Friday that the Biden administration is planning to annul its recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

In a tweet, the US State Department’s Near Eastern Affairs said: “US policy regarding the Golan has not changed, and reports to the contrary are false.”

The tweet was in response to a report that said Washington was shifting its policy, sparking uproar in Israel. On Thursday, the Washington Free Beacon wrote in one of its headlines “Biden Admin Walks Back US Recognition of Golan Heights as Israeli Territory.”

It said it has spoken to the US State Department press office, asking for the Biden administration’s position on the Golan Heights.

When asked to clarify the stance on the territory, the State Department official told the Free Beacon that “Secretary of State Antony Blinken was clear that, as a practical matter, the Golan is very important to Israel's security.”

The official added that as long as Bashar al-Assad is in power in Syria, as long as Iran is present in Syria, militia groups backed by Iran, the Assad regime itself—all of these pose a significant security threat to Israel, and as a practical matter, the control of the Golan remains of real importance to Israel's security.

Commenting on those statements, Israeli Public Security Minister Omer Barlev told the Maariv on Friday: “The Golan Heights became no more Israeli because of Trump’s decision, and it will not become less Israeli if the decision is now revoked.”

Barlev denied that the new Israeli government was informed by the US administration that it intends to change its policy on the Golan Heights. “The new government is attached to its political program, which stipulates doubling the number of human settlements in the Heights.”

In a related development, Israeli Channel 13 quoted an Israeli political official as saying that the issue has not been discussed with the Americans and that the Golan Heights should remain under Israeli sovereignty “forever”.

Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the Six Day-War in 1967 and annexed it in 1981. It has built dozens of settlements in the area over the years, with an estimated 26,000 Jewish settlers living there as of 2019.



Egypt Outraged Over Israeli Push to Move Palestinians to Border

Egyptian army chief visits near Israeli border late last year – military spokesman
Egyptian army chief visits near Israeli border late last year – military spokesman
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Egypt Outraged Over Israeli Push to Move Palestinians to Border

Egyptian army chief visits near Israeli border late last year – military spokesman
Egyptian army chief visits near Israeli border late last year – military spokesman

Egypt has strongly condemned what it sees as Israeli policies aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinians towards its borders, warning such actions pose a direct threat to its national security, an informed Egyptian source told Asharq al-Awsat.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said Israel’s handling of the Gaza conflict indicates a lack of seriousness in reaching a ceasefire agreement or engaging in meaningful efforts to resolve the crisis.

“Cairo is alarmed by attempts to push Palestinians toward Egyptian territory and set up tent encampments near the border,” the source said, calling the move “a threat to Egypt’s national security.”

The comments came as Israeli media reported that Egypt had warned Israel against expanding military operations in Rafah.

According to Israel’s Channel 7, Egypt’s security delegation involved in the ongoing Gaza ceasefire talks expressed strong opposition to Israel’s proposed military deployment map, citing its implications for Egyptian sovereignty and security.

Israel’s Channel 13 reported that Cairo views Israel’s plan to establish a “tent city” for displaced Palestinians near the Egypt-Gaza border as a “ticking time bomb.”

The plan, which envisions relocating hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to the area, has heightened Egyptian concerns over a potential refugee crisis on its doorstep.

The Israeli channels said Egypt’s increased military presence in Sinai, particularly in Zone C, where military activity is limited under the 1979 peace treaty, was intended as a message to Israel.

Egypt may also reassess the peace agreement if Israeli actions are deemed to constitute a clear violation of the treaty.

Cairo warns of breach of peace deal

Egyptian national security and international relations expert Major General Mohamed Abdel Wahid said Egypt “categorically rejects any Israeli military presence along the Egyptian-Palestinian border,” including Israel’s control of the Philadelphi Corridor and Rafah. “This is a breach of the peace treaty,” he said.

“Egypt has previously warned that the peace agreement may be at risk,” Abdel Wahid told Asharq al-Awsat.

“Cairo remains committed to the treaty, but it is clear that Israel is not respecting its obligations and is pursuing its interests at any cost.”

Abdel Wahid accused Israel of deliberately pushing Palestinians toward Egypt’s borders in preparation for a forced displacement plan, saying this would amount to an effective dismantling of the Palestinian cause, something Egypt wholly rejects.

Tensions between Egypt and Israel have reached their highest level since the current war in Gaza began, especially after Israel resumed strikes on the enclave and failed to implement a ceasefire agreement brokered primarily by Cairo. Egypt has also objected to Israel’s continued military control over the Philadelphi Corridor and its refusal to reopen border crossings.

In recent weeks, Egyptian media reported a buildup of troops and heavy weaponry in northern Sinai’s Zone C, a development analysts say signals Cairo’s growing frustration. While the move may stretch the limits of the peace deal, Egyptian sources argue it is a response to Israeli violations.

Tensions political, not military – expert

Major General Sayed Ghoneim, a fellow at the Egyptian Military Academy for Postgraduate and Strategic Studies, said the strain in Egyptian-Israeli ties remains “political and diplomatic - not military.”

“There’s a political disagreement over policies and a diplomatic rift between the two foreign ministries,” Ghoneim told Asharq al-Awsat. “But the defense ministries remain on coordinated terms, particularly in matters related to peacekeeping. Any tensions are being handled through established channels.”

Ghoneim, who also serves as a visiting professor at NATO and the Royal Military Academy in Brussels, noted that one sign of diplomatic tension is Egypt’s refusal to accredit a new Israeli ambassador since the previous envoy left. Egypt also recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv and has not sent him back.

He emphasized that while Israel’s military presence along the Egypt-Gaza border is in violation of the peace agreement and is a core reason for the current political discord, the situation has not escalated into a military confrontation.

Israeli forces seized full control of Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, including the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah crossing, in May 2024. Israel has accused Egypt of failing to stop the flow of weapons into Gaza through tunnels, an allegation Cairo denies.

The 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty prohibits the use or threat of force between the two countries and mandates peaceful resolution of disputes.

It also regulates military deployments along their shared border and established a joint military coordination committee.