Syria UN Envoy:

UN Vote Shows Israel Presence in Golan Illegal

Rasa - Syria’s UN envoy said that the UN’s recent positive vote for a draft resolution concerning Israel’s occupation of Golan Heights shows that the Israel's actions are “unacceptable and violate the principles of international law.”

News ID: 434742

Date: 13 November 2017 - 21:15

RNA - Syria’s Ambassador to the UN Bashar al-Jafari made the remarks while addressing the Special Political and Decolonization Committee, SANA reported.

Jafari stressed that the sweeping vote reiterates member states’ rejection of the Tel Aviv's occupation of the Golan Heights.

“It also asserts that the attempt to annex the Golan by Israel is null and void and has no legal effect in accordance with UN Security Council’s Resolution  No. 497 for 1981, and therefore all such practices, including the settlement activities and cooperation with terrorist groups as a ISIL and al-Nusra Front in the Syrian Golan will be denounced by all those who are keen to upgrade international law, end the foreign occupation and to reject the principle of annexing the lands of others by force,” he said.

He added that Israel is in continuous cooperation with ISIL in Golan which “violates Security Council resolutions that prohibit dealing with terrorism.”

Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and has continued to occupy two-thirds of the strategically-important territory ever since, in a move that has never been recognized by the international community.

Israel has built tens of illegal settlements in the area since its occupation and has used the region to carry out a number of military operations against the Syrian government.

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