Golan Heights:
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett recently said the country intends to double the number of settlers living in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights with a multimillion-dollar plan meant to further consolidate Israel’s hold on the territory.
- The Golan Heights is a rocky plateau with an area of 1,800km² on the border between Israel and Syria in south-western Syria.
- The Golan Heights were captured by Israel from Syria in the 1967 conflict and annexed in 1981 — a move not recognized internationally.
- The European Union said its position on the status of the Golan Heights was unchanged and it did not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the area.
- The Arab League, which suspended Syria in 2011 after the start of its civil war has said the move is “completely beyond international law”.
- Egypt, which made peace with Israel in 1979, said it still considers the Golan as occupied Syrian territory.
- India has also not recognized Golan heights as Israel territory and has called for the return of Golan Heights to Syria.
- In 2019, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that the US may recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
