Israeli soldiers take part in a military exercise in the Israel-annexed Golan Heights, near the Lebanon border
India voted in favor of a draft resolution in the UNGA that conveyed the organization’s grave concerns about Israel’s refusal to leave the Syrian Golan. A portion of southwest Syria known as the Syrian Golan Heights was taken over by Israeli soldiers on June 5, 1967.
Voting on “The Syrian Golan”
On November 28, the 193-member UNGA had a vote on the draft resolution titled “The Syrian Golan” under the topic “The situation in the Middle East.” In a recorded vote, the resolution—which Egypt had proposed—was approved with 91 votes in favor, 8 votes against, and 62 abstentions.
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Malaysia, the Maldives, Nepal, Russia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates were among the countries that supported the resolution, except India. The U.K., Australia, Canada, Israel, and the United States voted against it.
The resolution expressed great concern that, in defiance of pertinent Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, Israel has not left the Syrian Golan, which it has occupied since 1967.
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Israel failed on Security Council’s Resolution 497
The resolution declared that Israel failed to comply with Security Council resolution 497 (1981), which decided that “the Israeli decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights is null and void and without international legal effect.” The resolution on Tuesday also ruled that the Israeli decision from December 14, 1981, was completely invalid and had no legal standing. It demanded that Israel reverse its course.
The resolution further emphasized how unlawful Israeli settlement expansion and other actions in the Syrian Golan that have been in force since 1967 are.
In accordance with the pertinent Security Council resolutions, it demanded that Israel withdraw from all of the occupied Syrian Golan to the line of June 4, 1967. It also concluded that “the continued occupation of the Syrian Golan and its de facto annexation constitute a stumbling block in the way of achieving a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the region.” The resolution conveyed serious concerns about the suspension of the Syrian peace process and hoped that negotiations would quickly pick up where they left off.
