Tom Barrack, the United States envoy to Syria, has issued a clarification following controversy over his recent comments regarding the Golan Heights, in which he described Israel as holding the territory "contrary to international decisions." In his statement, he emphasized that American policy has not changed, including US recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
He said:
"US policy regarding the Golan was set by President Trump in 2019 and remains unchanged. My comments described familiar historical documentation and were made during an explanation of why I do not foresee annexation in Lebanon.
The UN reference was offered as evidence for the argument I was making—that territory taken by force remains in dispute for generations, in this case more than 50 years and still without UN resolution. This is why I argue that understandings reached through negotiation, not maps, are what endure. This was not an endorsement of the UN position."
The controversy erupted after Barrack told Mario Nawfal's podcast earlier this week that "Israel occupies the Golan Heights, despite UN resolutions determining it to be Syrian territory. There is an international consensus on this issue." His remarks came despite the fact that the United States, and the Trump administration itself, recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights in 2019.
In response, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz criticized him, saying his "response is full of inaccuracies and positions that contradict Trump's own position regarding the Golan Heights."
