US Ambassador Tom Barrack has retracted a comment describing the Golan Heights as occupied Syrian territory and reaffirmed that Washington’s policy recognising Israel’s claimed sovereignty over the territory remains unchanged.
Barrack, who is also President Donald Trump’s envoy for Syria, said in a statement to the Associated Press on Sunday that the policy was set by Trump in 2019 and had not changed.
What Barrack said and then withdrew
In a Friday interview with podcaster Mario Nawfal, Barrack said Israel occupied the Golan “against the UN resolutions” and “against all of the international order”, which he said recognised the territory as Syrian.
The remark drew criticism from supporters of Israel’s claim. Far-right commentator Laura Loomer called for Barrack to resign, while Republican Senator Rick Scott said the ambassador was expected to carry out Trump’s agenda and referred to Trump’s 2019 action on the Golan Heights.
Why the Golan policy is disputed
Israel occupied the Golan during the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed it in 1981. Before Trump backed Israel’s claim in 2019, no country had recognised the Golan as part of Israel, and the decision prompted international criticism.
Legal experts warned that recognising the claim could challenge the post-World War II principle prohibiting the acquisition of territory by force. Former President Joe Biden promoted a rules-based international order but did not reverse Trump’s Golan policy during his four-year term.
The wider regional context
Barrack’s original remarks came while he was answering a question about whether Israel might annex parts of southern Lebanon. He said Israel would face difficulty claiming Lebanese territory as its own, regardless of its intent.
He had also faced criticism after opposing Israeli air strikes on a Syrian airbase the previous week. In the interview, Barrack suggested one possible explanation was that the strikes were intended to antagonise Turkiye, which is allied with the Syrian government, and linked the idea to the US midterm elections in November.
No comments yet. Start the discussion.