Foreign Secretary speaks 'with a heavy heart because Israel is an ally and a shining example of democracy'
April 3, 2019 10:27
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has condemned Donald Trump’s recognition of the Golan Heights as sovereign Israeli territory, saying: “We should never recognise the annexation of territory by force.”
Answering questions in the House of Commons on Tuesday morning, Mr Hunt responded to a question from Conservative grandee Sir Nicholas Soames, who said it was “a matter of the greatest regret that our allies, the United States, are in clear contravention of UN Resolution 497”.
Sir Nicholas had said President Trump’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan was illegal because “annexation of territory is prohibited under international law” and asked Hunt to “condemn unreservedly this breach of the rules-based order”.
The Foreign Secretary responded that Sir Nicholas was "absolutely right".
He added: "We should never recognise the annexation of territory by force. That has been one of the great achievements since the founding of the United Nations.
"I do that with a very heavy heart, because Israel is an ally and a shining example of democracy in a part of the world where that is not common.
“We want Israel to be a success, and we consider it to be a great friend, but on this we do not agree.”
Israel seized the Golan from Syria in the Six Day War of 1967. It was the scene of intense fighting in the Yom Kippur War in 1973 and Israel unilaterally annaxed the plateau in 1981.
The US recognition of the Golan as Israeli last week was also unilateral.
Under Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Israel offered to return most of the Golan to Syria during talks in 2000 but these failed when Syria wanted Israel to withdraw to the pre-1967 line, which would give it control of the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, Israel's main fresh water source.
In 2016, Benjamin Netanyahu gave a speech overlooking the Sea of Galilee, saying: "First, no matter what happens on the other side of the border, the line itself isn't going to change.
"Second, it's time that the international community finally recognise that the Golan will remain forever under Israel's sovereignty."