The Syrian government has officially lodged a protest with the United Nations, formally rejecting Colombia’s recent decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights. According to state news agency SANA, Syria sent letters to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the president of the UN Security Council on Wednesday to express its categorical rejection and condemnation of the move.
Colombia’s foreign ministry announced its recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the territory on Monday. This diplomatic shift makes Colombia the second nation to take such a position, following the United States, which recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights in 2019 during the first term of President Donald Trump. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the decision in a video posted on X, while Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also welcomed the development.
In its communication to the UN, the Syrian foreign ministry reiterated its stance that the Colombian decision is based on security justifications that are inconsistent with international law. The ministry asserted that the move contradicts previous statements from Guterres, who has affirmed that the Golan Heights are Syrian territory and that the UN recognizes them as such. Furthermore, Syria argued that the recognition violates the principle prohibiting the acquisition of territory by force, as well as UN Security Council Resolution 497, which was adopted in 1981.
Israel has maintained control over the majority of the Syrian Golan Heights since 1967. In 1981, Israel annexed the territory, a measure that the UN has consistently rejected, labeling it as null and void under the provisions of Resolution 497.
