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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over Golan Heights: Is US above international law?

News Analysis |

President Donald Trump’s move of signing a presidential order recognizing the U.S sovereignty over Golan Heights has not been welcomed by anyone other than Israel. In fact, it has brought Iran and Gulf states, along with key European countries, to the same page which have equivocally condemned the recognition as a violation of international law.

The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, key strategic and economic allies of the United States recently, have said it is an impediment to peace in the Middle East as Golan Heights are occupied Arab land. “No one could imagine that a person in America comes and gives the land of a nation to another occupying country, against international laws and conventions,” President Hassan Rouhani said.

All the Gulf States where Jared Kushner went to seek help from, have denied accepting current move of recognizing Israel’s annexation of Golan Heights. Some of these Arab states host U.S troops and bases to help strengthen its strategic say in the region.

Even the European members of the security council France and Britain, along with Germany, Poland and Belgium said that they believed that Golan Heights are occupied territory and they do not endorse the U.S decision at all. “We raise our strong concerns about broader consequences of recognizing illegal annexation and also about the broader regional consequences,” they said on Tuesday.

The U.S Against the Rest of the World

The United States of America has never minced words when it came to the support it has historically been providing to the Zionist state of Israel, which has practically become an apartheid state as well after legislation passed recently in the Israeli parliament. Last year, under a daunting move spearheaded by the U.S President Donald Trump, U.S Embassy of Israel was moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a city sacred for both Jews and Muslims.

Read more: Syria requests urgent UN Security Council meeting on Golan

It resulted into a massive protest in Gaza near the Israeli border where Israeli snipers indiscriminately targeted para-medics and even journalist alongside unarmed civilians. The global community at that time was once again generally against the move as everyone knew the result would be chaotic, as it eventually turned out to be.

And now recognizing Israeli occupation over Golan Heights comes another controversial, yet bold, decision under Donald Trump’s belt. Across the global media, it is seen as an attempt to put back the dwindling ratings of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which had plummeted due to an internal investigation into alleged corruption from the public fund.

U.S recognition and broad denial of endorsing the move from its European and Arab allies would practically result in nothing else, as Israel already has its forces at the Golan Heights. But it might just help the U.S favorite Benjamins Netanyahu come back into the power once again.

Last year, under a daunting move spearheaded by the U.S President Donald Trump, U.S Embassy of Israel was moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a city sacred for both Jews and Muslims.

It is hard to see how such a move can positively impact the Middle East Peace Plan which has been under process for nearly two years now. All the Gulf States where Jared Kushner went to seek help from, have denied accepting current move of recognizing Israel’s annexation of Golan Heights. Some of these Arab states host U.S troops and bases to help strengthen its strategic say in the region.

Might is Right

With the two European allies and the permanent members of the United Nation’s Security Council the United Kingdom and France already backing off from supporting U.S move, it could have been ideally censured in the council as a violation of international law. But the United States and all permanent members of the UNSC have veto power and a unanimous decision is needed to implement any UNSC decision.

Read more: Trump accepts Israeli sovereignty over Golan Heights

Therefore, it culminates into a simple understanding that international law is a mere hoax which is binding only for the weak states. It did nothing when Russian troops marched into Crimea back in 2014 and it is certainly not going to take the charge in this case as well.