Golan Heights

With his tweet US President Trump has tried to formalize Israeli occupation of Golan Heights. On March, the 25th 2019, Trump proclaimed that “the United States recognizes that the Golan Heights are part of the State of Israel”.  The strategic heights were occupied by Israel in 1967 Arab-Israel conflict. For the last 52 years the international community continues to name it as occupation and treats it as such.

UN takes a similar position. The US so far has followed the lead of international community. With Trump in White House, any pretense of respecting the international opinion has vanished. The ardent support for Israel has widened to an extent where one decision after another emanates from White House seeking to toe the Israeli line in flagrant violation of international norms. If it was recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital yesterday, it is formalizing occupation of Golan Heights today.

   

Golan Heights is geographically a rocky plateau 1,800 sq. kms, with Yarmouk River in the south, Sea of Galilee/Hula Valley in west, Mount Hermon in the north, and Wadi-e- Raqqad in the east. While Sea of Galilee rings biblical dating back too Old Testament, Yarmouk reminds of the decisive battle where Byzantine Romans lost to Arabs surcharged with message of Islam. 

There is thus history woven around the place. Its strategic importance is inherent in its geographical locations, thus the geo-strategic eminence, the wide plateau holds. The geo-strategic eminence held through times of old testament, as Israelite kings and Syrian Armenians fought to control it. The place changed hands frequently, as did the settlements on the plateau. Much later, with Muslims overpowering Byzantines in 636 A.D, the Jewish settlements ended.

In the 16th century, Golan became a part of Ottoman Empire. In 1918 the Ottomans ceded control to French mandate. With the mandate expiring in 1946, Syrian republic took hold of Golan Heights. Syrians held the strategic advantage until 1967, the year Israel forcibly occupied Golan. The illegal occupation is now being accorded a legal cover by Trump, demeaning the UN resolutions.  

As Israel tried to extend its law and administration to Golan Heights, UN Security Council in its resolution 497 declared such an extension of Israeli authority null and void and without international legal effect. The Israeli move stood in violation of UN resolution 242, which underlines “inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war”.

Israel, known to trample upon international norms stays brazen enough to interpret UN resolution 242 in favour of its forcible occupation. Israel emphasizes that “safe and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force” implicit in the related resolution gives it the right over Golan. This amounts to weird reading of the resolution.

Given the unscrupulous Israeli take, any nation state would be tempted to occupy territory of neighboring states, taking the plea of safe borders. It could lead to international anarchy, where borders could be drawn and redrawn by armed might, with brazen occupation. Backed by US in its misdemeanors, Israel is trying to accomplish exactly that, and getting away with it.

Israeli Prime Minister–Benjamin Netanyahu has found an ideal patron in US President—Donald Trump. Never ever has a US President gone to such ugly lengths to protect the state planted in the heart of Muslim Middle East, belittling the Arab habitants, and trampling upon their rights? Trump stands alone in concluding that Golan Heights are a part of Israel. US allies, the European Union have criticized the move, so has Turkey.

The stand remains of holding Golan Heights as occupied territory. Arab states, including the Gulf States in US sphere of influence have condemned the move. Syria, backed by its allies Russia and Iran vowed to recover the lost territory “by all available means”. However iron-clad Israeli hold might be over Jerusalem or Golan, the international community would continue to see it as illegal occupation.

It is widely believed that decision on Golan was taken by Trump to help Netanyahu out of a difficult situation; he remains face to face with in the run-up to Israeli election. Facing serious corruption charges, Netanyahu needed a boost, and Trump rushed to provide it. In the process Trump demolished the veneer of respectability the US foreign policy had worked out, in spite of fostering Israel.

It follows a series of decisions like reversing the agreement with Iran and recognizing Jerusalem as Israeli capital. More and more, US is facing the indignity of its unilateral decision making in international affairs being challenged. US foreign policy is becoming as brazen as Israeli policy in international realm.  Trump is often accused of acting in haste, which US can ill-afford.

However on the decision on Golan, Trump has denied he acted in haste or his decision had anything to do Israeli election.  “I’ve been thinking about doing that for a long time” he told Fox News in an interview, adding, “Every president has said, do that. I’m the one that gets it done.” 

Trump for once may be right that he has been thinking about it for some time, given the fact that US state department described Golan Heights as “Israeli-controlled” in its most recent human rights report. Switching from “Israeli-occupied” to “Israeli-controlled” signified changing the diplomatic signpost.

Maps are slated to be redrawn to reflect official recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, according to a report by Voice of America. To add salt to the injury, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says that the Trump administration’s decision to recognize the Golan Heights as part of Israel will promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Nothing could be farther from truth.

 Yaar Zinda, Sohbat Baqi [Reunion is subordinate to survival]

iqbal.javid46@gmail.com

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