Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed in front of the UN General Assembly Wednesday that the Golan Heights region will remain Syrian despite Israel’s claims over the strategically important territory.
“Any attempts that violate our sovereignty, violate international law, will be stopped. Golan will remain Syrian territories,” al-Sharaa said at the UN meeting of world leaders in New York.
The US had been the only country to recognise Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights in 1981, which it captured from Syria in 1967, until Colombia’s new hard-right government in August recognised Israel’s claim.
The UN maintains that the plateau is Syrian territory under Israeli military occupation, previously declaring Israel’s 1981 annexation of the territory “null and void”.
In July UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated that the Golan Heights were part of Syria, describing Israeli occupation as “totally unacceptable”.
Al-Sharaa also used his second turn at the UN rostrum since ousting former dictator Bashar al-Assad in a blitz offensive in December 2024 to denounce repeated Israeli strikes on his country.
“Israel is launching attacks against Syria. There have been 500 air strikes, more than 1,200 incursions, and 300 detentions. This is at odds with the orientation we’re seeing at global level,” he said.
“It is reminiscent of a era that we thought was long gone.”
Golan Heights — or Jersey City Heights?
Speaking at an Atlantic Council panel in New York on Tuesday, moderated by former senior US national security official Brett McGurk, al-Sharaa recounted telling US President Donald Trump directly that he had no right to recognise Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
“Why don’t you give New Jersey to the Israelis?” al-Sharaa said he told the US president.
“You don’t own the Golan Heights to give it to them, but you own New Jersey, and I believe New Jersey is full of Democrats, and they are not voting for Trump,” al-Sharaa quipped.
“So it will be good to give it to the Israelis. At least this is something that you own.”
“The Golan has its people,” al-Sharaa told McGurk, who served under four US presidents including Trump, adding that neither the Syrian nor the US president had the right to cede it.
Trump — who has openly shown his admiration for al-Sharaa — formally recognised Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights in 2019 during his first term.
Al-Sharaa derived his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Jolani from his family’s origins in the Golan.
At the Atlantic Council panel, al-Sharaa said Syria and Israel had held several rounds of direct talks, some facilitated by the US, and had reached “almost 90% of agreements” before Israel pulled back or introduced new conditions.
“It’s not appropriate that what happened on 7 October set Israeli policy for Syria,” he said. “Israel needs to change its policy because it’s creating problems around it in order to maintain its security.”
He accused Israel of twice bombing Syria’s presidential palace and targeting airports since he came to power in December 2024.
“Since the fall of the former regime, Israel is repeating its attacks and aggressions against Syria. It is occupying new territories, territories that have been occupied after 8 December 2024,” al-Sharaa said.
“Will that bring security to Israeli citizens? I believe the problem is with Israel, not with Syria.”
Additional sources • AFP