Politics UN resolution demands Israel withdraw from Golan Heights
The UN General Assembly calls on Israel to withdraw from the Golan Heights in a resolution. Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon harshly criticized the resolution, which had previously been passed by a majority. "The UN General Assembly proves once again how disconnected it is from reality," he wrote on X.
03.12.2025, 07:01
SDA
The resolution was passed during ongoing negotiations between Syria and Israel on a security agreement. The two neighboring countries have been at odds over the Golan Heights for decades. Israel conquered the Syrian plateau, which covers around 1,150 square kilometers, during the Six-Day War in 1967 and annexed it at the end of 1981. The UN declared the annexation by Israel null and void.
Netanyahu calls for a buffer zone up to Damascus
In his harsh criticism of the UN resolution, Israel's UN Ambassador Danon spoke of the Golan Heights as a "crucial line of defense that protects our citizens." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously said that he expected Syria to establish a "demilitarized buffer zone" extending from the Syrian capital Damascus to the Golan Heights. An agreement with the neighboring country is possible, he emphasized. However, the prerequisite would be an understanding of Israel's "principles".
Following the fall of the former Syrian long-term ruler Bashar al-Assad, Israel had deployed soldiers to the UN-controlled buffer zone between the Golan Heights and Syrian-controlled territory. Israel is determined to protect itself from attacks from areas close to the border and to prevent extremists hostile to Israel from settling there, Netanyahu said. Israel's army regularly attacks targets in Syria, for example to destroy weapons depots or military equipment, according to its own statements.
Trump called on Israel to show restraint
US President Donald Trump would like to see a normalization of relations between the neighbouring countries, which have officially been at war since 1948. Trump also recently called on Israel to show restraint towards Syria. In a further resolution, the UN General Assembly also called on Israel to withdraw from the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel and one of its most important allies, the USA, voted against in both cases. The UN General Assembly has repeatedly introduced and passed such resolutions in recent years.
