US Opposes UNGA Resolution Calling on Israel to Return Golan Heights

Haley complains resolution has 'anti-Israel bias'

In a 151-2 vote, the UN General Assembly has voted to call for the end of the Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights, and calls for the territory to be returned to Syria. Israel, as usual, voted against the resolution, but the US also voted no for the first time ever.

The resolution is passed regularly in the UN, though Israel has claimed to have annexed the Golan Heights and most officials rule out returning it to Syria. The US vote is interesting, as historically, the US has always abstained from such votes, and the US has never recognized Israel’s annexation of Golan.

Ambassador Nikki Haley said the vote was because they considered the resolution to have an anti-Israel bias. The resolution, however, appears identical to what it always says. The change seems wholly within the administration.

The US vote does not necessarily amount to the US endorsing the annexation of Golan, though it will almost certainly be seen as doing so. Haley suggested this would be the new normal, and that the US would not abstain from “useless annual votes” on Israeli matters.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.