On Tuesday, the State Department released its annual report on global human rights practices, known as the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. In the first such report of the Biden administration, the US reaffirmed the recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights and the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
The Israel section of the report reads: “The United States recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in 2017 and Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights in 2019.”
It’s been obvious that President Biden has no intention of reversing the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. But when it comes to the Golan Heights, which was captured from Syria in 1967, the Biden administration has not been clear how it views the territory.
When asked about the Golan Heights in February, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “Leaving aside the legalities of that question, as a practical matter, the Golan is very important to Israel’s security.”
Israeli media pointed out that the report referred to the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem as “occupied” territories, reversing the Trump administration’s move to drop the reference to occupation altogether from the report.
But the Biden administration’s report did not reverse all Trump-era changes. The Israel section was titled “Israel, West Bank, and Gaza.” Before Trump, the section was titled “Israel and the Occupied Territories.”
There is no possible peace that takes Golan from Syria. Israel recognized that when it was actually talking to Syria. Those talks broke down over water rights, not over returning the Golan.
War is bad, but it is better than jeopardizing the lives of your citizens. The Golan is now part of Israel,
why? How?
Sounds like something Hasbra would say
Per Blinkin, “Leaving aside legagalties of that question, as a practical matter, Paris, is very important to the security of Nazi Germany.”
Paris was never a threat to Germany-bad logic
If the USSR was a threat to the US does that justify annexing any or all of it?
jake — and is a threat to Israel? My point is that Israel just wants to OWN the Golan Heights – of course it is not a threat to Israel.
More relevant comparison would be “Leaving aside legalities of that question, as a practical matter, Crimea, is very important to the security of Russia.”
John DeLunke, Actually being Russian is very important to the security of the Russians who live in Crimea
The Boss installed it’e new Slave at The Highest Post for one of these reasons.
Goes to show that governments may change but the Lobby’s control of Washington remains stronger than ever.
The report should read: “Israel reaffirms the US recognizes anything Israel wants.”
We should stop pretending it’s anything other than that.