On Tuesday, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on Israel to vacate the occupied Golan Heights. The resolution received support from 91 countries, including Russia, Brazil, India, China, and Saudi Arabia. Eight states, including the US and the UK, opposed the resolution, while 62 countries abstained. The resolution was co-sponsored by Algeria, Cuba, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, North Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Qatar, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, and Venezuela.
The document comprises eight paragraphs. The first paragraph asserts that Israel has not yet complied with UNSC Resolution 497 of 1981, which mandates the country to annul the law establishing Israeli jurisdiction over the Golan Heights. Furthermore, the resolution insists "that Israel withdraw from all occupied Syrian Golan to the line of June 4, 1967, in compliance with the relevant Security Council resolutions." The resolution also underscores that "the continued occupation and de facto annexation of the Syrian Golan is a stumbling block on the way to achieving a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the region."
Furthermore, the UNGA "calls on Israel to resume negotiations on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks and to respect the commitments and guarantees agreed upon in previous negotiations" and "requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its 79th session on the implementation of this resolution."
The Golan Heights, originally part of Syria, came under Israeli control during the Six-Day War in 1967. In 1981, Israel passed a law asserting its sovereignty over the territory. UN Security Council Resolution 497, issued on December 17, 1981, declared the annexation null and void.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Patrick Gruban/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS