Golan Heights to remain under Israeli control in future – Israeli FM
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar affirmed on Monday that the Golan Heights will remain under Israeli control in any future peace agreement, dismissing the possibility of relinquishing the strategic plateau.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Saar stated that “Israel is interested in establishing official diplomatic ties with old foes Syria and Lebanon, but will not negotiate the fate of the Golan Heights in any peace agreement.”
His comments came just hours after Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Syrian Transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa has made Israeli withdrawal from the Golan a prerequisite for any normalization of ties between Damascus and Tel Aviv.
Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and formally annexed the territory in 1981—a move not recognized by the international community, though the United States under the Trump administration acknowledged Israeli sovereignty over the region in 2019.