Israeli soldiers look towards Syria across the border. The US recognised Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan in 2019. The rest of the international community regards the territory as occupied. Photo: Reuters
Israeli soldiers look towards Syria across the border. The US recognised Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan in 2019. The rest of the international community regards the territory as occupied. Photo: Reuters
Israeli soldiers look towards Syria across the border. The US recognised Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan in 2019. The rest of the international community regards the territory as occupied. Photo: Reuters
Israeli soldiers look towards Syria across the border. The US recognised Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan in 2019. The rest of the international community regards the territory as occupied. Photo:

MENA

Syria

Syria denounces Israeli plans to double settler numbers in the Golan Heights

Israel's Cabinet has approved a scheme to build about 7,300 housing units on land captured in 1967

The National

December 28, 2021

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  • Arabic

Syria has condemned Israeli plans to double the number of Jewish settlers in the Golan Heights over the next five years.

Syrian state media on Monday described the decision as a “dangerous and unprecedented escalation”.

The country's Foreign Ministry said Damascus remains committed to the Syrians living in the Golan “who are steadfast in their resistance to the Israeli occupation and their rejection of the decision to annex the Golan”.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday announced a multimillion-dollar plan meant to double the number of settlers living in the region that Israel captured from Syria more than five decades ago.

Israel's Cabinet approved a blueprint to build about 7,300 additional housing units on the strategic plateau in a move that could tighten its grip on the territory.

“Syria strongly condemns the dangerous and unprecedented escalation by the Israeli occupation authorities”, the state-run Sana news agency said. It added that Damascus would use all legally available means to retake the territory.

Speaking to Syrian TV station Al Ekhbariya, Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad called Israel's actions against Syria “criminal” and said they broke UN Resolution 497 that declared Israel's effective annexation of the Golan as “null and void”.

Israel has mounted frequent attacks against what it describes as Iranian targets in Syria, where Tehran-backed forces, including Lebanon's Hezbollah, have supported President Bashar Al Assad in Syria's war.

Israel annexed the 1,200-square kilometre Golan Heights in 1981, an action not recognised by the international community. Syria demands the return of the Golan, which also overlooks Lebanon and borders Jordan.

The US recognised Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan in 2019. The rest of the international community regards the territory as occupied.

Entrenching Israeli control over the Golan would complicate any future attempt to forge peace with Syria.

About 50,000 people live in the Golan Heights – roughly half of them Jewish Israelis. The remaining half are in Druze Arab villages that formerly were part of Syria. Some of the Druze population opposes Israeli control.

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

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Updated: December 28, 2021, 12:14 PM
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