Russia, Germany and Turkey condemn Israeli population expansion in Golan Heights

12/21/2024 / By Laura Harris

Several European and Middle Eastern countries have condemned Israel’s plan to expand Jewish population in the Golan Heights.
Israel intends to nearly double the population in the Golan Heights from 50,000 to 90,000, mainly by increasing the number of Jews living there.
Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and annexed it in 1981. Most of the global community does not recognize this annexation, although the U.S. granted recognition in 2019.
Critics from Europe and the Middle East argue that the Israeli expansion is a violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement that ended the Yom Kippur War.
Critics, including those in the Middle East, warn that the expansion could lead to increased violence and tension in the region.

Russia, Germany and Turkey have condemned Israel and its plan to nearly double the Israeli population living in the Golan Heights after the opposition ousted former President Bashar al-Assad.

Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed it in 1981. Most of the global community does not recognize this annexation, even though the U.S. granted its recognition in 2019. The region is currently home to approximately 25,000 Jews and 25,000 Druze.

In recent weeks, Israeli troops seized a demilitarized buffer zone on the Golan Heights, established under the 1974 Disengagement Agreement that ended the Yom Kippur War. This move preceded the Israeli population expansion plan on Dec. 15. The Israeli government announced its plan to expand the existing population of 50,000 people on the Israeli-controlled side of the Golan Heights to 90,000, with funding of NIS 40 million ($11 million) to be allocated for education, renewable energy and the establishment of a student village.

The next day, European countries condemned this plan as a violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.

According to German Foreign Ministry spokesman Christian Wagner, the Israeli plan is “perfectly clear under international law” as a violation of Syria’s territorial integrity. Wagner also argued that the “area controlled by Israel belongs to Syria and Israel is therefore an occupying power.” He added that Berlin, while recognizing Israel’s security concerns, is urging its ally to “abandon this plan” in light of the ongoing political upheaval in Syria. (Related: Syria’s Fall: A Strategic Blow to Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia – Highlights from the Mike Adams Brighteon Broadcast for Dec 9, 2024.)

Turkey also condemned the move as “a new stage in Israel’s goal of expanding its borders through occupation.” The country’s foreign ministry warned that the plan would “seriously undermine” efforts to bring stability to Syria after the recent ousting of President Bashar al-Assad.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov echoed a similar statement. Ryabkov warned against the “hotheads in West Jerusalem” and stressed that “the annexation of the Golan Heights, which many are talking about now, is absolutely unacceptable.”

Middle Eastern countries also condemn the Israeli expansion to Golan Heights

Other Middle Eastern countries, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), also condemned the Israeli expansion.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry declared that the Israeli incursion is a “dangerous development and a blatant attack on Syria’s sovereignty and unity as well as a flagrant violation of international law.” It added that Israel’s attempts to occupy Syrian territories “will lead the region to further violence and tension.”

Saudi Arabia echoed the criticism, stating that Israel’s moves confirm “its continued violation of the rules of international law and its determination to sabotage Syria’s chances of restoring its security, stability and territorial integrity.” The kingdom’s Foreign Ministry called on the international community to condemn the Israeli campaign, emphasizing that the Golan Heights is an occupied Arab territory.

Iraq condemned Israel’s actions as a “grave violation under international law” and urged the United Nations Security Council to uphold international responsibility and end the aggression. “We stress the importance of maintaining Syria’s sovereignty and integrity,” a statement read.

Iran condemned the Israeli incursion as a “violation” of international law, stating, “This aggression is a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter.”

Read more stories like this at WWIII.news.

Watch this footage of Israeli tanks and armored vehicles being deployed to Lebanon and the Golan Heights following the ouster of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad.

This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com.