Several Arab countries have condemned Colombia’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Syria’s Golan Heights, saying the move does not alter its status as occupied Arab territory.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, Jordan, Syria, Iraq and Yemen on Tuesday described the recognition as a violation of international law and UN resolutions, which deem Israel’s imposition of its laws, jurisdiction and administration over the annexed Golan Heights “null and void” and without legal effect.
Israel captured most of the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and annexed the territory in 1981. After the fall of the Assad regime in 2024, Israel occupied more territory in the area, and its troops conduct regular incursions into Syrian territory.
Most countries continue to recognise Syrian sovereignty over the area in line with UN Security Council Resolution 497.
Colombia is the second country to recognise Israeli sovereignty over the occupied territory, after the US did so under President Donald Trump in 2019.
In a statement, Syria’s foreign ministry said the occupied Golan Heights is an “inseparable part of Syrian territory” and that it would “continue to use all legitimate diplomatic and legal means to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and established rights, and to work toward the recovery of its occupied territories”.
Damascus also expressed appreciation for growing international support for its “legitimate rights in the occupied Syrian Golan”.
Regional condemnation
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry affirmed that the Golan Heights was occupied Syrian Arab territory, and said that “any measures or decisions aimed at altering their legal status neither create rights nor confer legitimacy upon such actions”.
Qatar’s foreign ministry emphasised the need for Israel to “comply with international law and withdraw from all occupied Arab territories, including the Golan Heights”. It also warned that unilateral decisions recognising Israeli sovereignty over the territory would “constitute a major obstacle to achieving peace in the region”.
Turkey said Colombia’s statement was “seeking to legitimise Israel’s occupation of the Golan Heights”, adding that “such isolated attempts have no legal weight”.
“We take this occasion to reiterate our call on the international community to fulfil its responsibilities in bringing an end to Israel’s occupation in the south of Syria, including the Golan Heights, as well as its attacks targeting Syria’s sovereignty and stability,” Turkey’s foreign ministry said.
Egypt said it “strongly rejects” Colombia’s decision for “undermining the legitimate and established rights of the Syrian Arab Republic over its entire territory”.
It also stressed the need for Israel to withdraw from the occupied Syrian Golan Heights and called on countries to “refrain from taking any steps that would entrench the occupation”.
Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the Golan Heights would “remain occupied Syrian territory in accordance with international law and international legitimacy resolutions”.
He said sovereignty over territory “cannot be acquired through occupation and cannot be established by a political position from one country or another”. He added that the legal status of the occupied Syrian Golan could not be affected by changes in governments or their political orientations.
Mr Aboul Gheit also called on the Colombian government to retract its announcement, saying the Arab League rejected “any measures or positions that would grant legitimacy to the Israeli occupation or entrench its consequences”.
Restoring ties with Israel
Colombia’s new government on Monday said it recognised Israeli sovereignty over Syria's Golan Heights on security grounds, just days after President Abelardo de la Espriella, a staunch supporter of Israel, was sworn in.
“Given the persistent regional instability in the Middle East and considering the strategic importance of the Golan Heights to Israel’s security, the government of Colombia recognises Israel’s sovereignty over this territory, as well as the state’s right to defend itself against external threats,” it said in a statement.
The move is part of Mr De la Espriella’s efforts to restore close ties with Israel after his predecessor, Gustavo Petro, broke diplomatic relations with Israel in 2024 over its war in Gaza and described Israel’s siege of the enclave as “genocide”.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who attended Mr De la Espriella’s inauguration and met the new president the day before he formally took office on August 7, described the recognition as a “historic decision”.
Mr Saar said he would continue working to persuade other countries to join the US and Colombia in recognising Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights.
