US Rejects Netanyahu’s Declaration That Golan Is ‘Forever’ Israeli

Insists Return of Territory Needs to Be Negotiated

by Jason Ditz,

The US State Department has rejected yesterday’s demand from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the international community recognize the occupied Golan Heights as “forever” part of Israel, saying that the US position is unchanged, and that Golan is not legally part of Israel.

Israel occupied the Golan Heights in 1967, and reports have suggested previous Israeli governments sought to return the heights to Syria as part of a broader peace deal.Netanyahu opposed this, however, and insiststhat the illegal 1981 annexation of Golan will never be reversed.

Netanyahu’s comments sparked criticism from several other fronts as well, with Germany’s Foreign Ministry warning the Israeli annexation is a violation of international law and the UN charter, and that states can’t just unilaterally keep one another’s territory.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R – TX) is loudly endorsing the idea, however, insisting that Israel should be allowed to keep the Golan Heights and that it iss “foolhardy and dangerous” to suggest Israel should return the territory to Syria.

http://news.antiwar.com/2016/04/18/us-rejects-netanyahus-declaration-that-golan-is-forever-israeli/