US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack clarified that his earlier description of Israel's control of the Golan Heights as an "occupation" referred to the territory's historical status, not current US policy. In a statement to the Associated Press, Barrack said US policy on the Golan was set by President Trump in 2019 and is unchanged.
US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack on Monday walked back his earlier characterization of the Golan Heights as "occupied," clarifying that the remark referred to the territory's historical status and not current US policy. In a statement to the Associated Press, Barrack explicitly stated: "United States policy on the Golan was set by President Trump in 2019 and is unchanged." The clarification reaffirms the Trump administration's 2019 recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan and distances Barrack from phrasing that had triggered sharp Israeli criticism over the weekend.
The disavowal follows a rapid series of official Israeli pushbacks on Saturday, Aug 22. At 17:48 Jerusalem, Defense Minister Israel Katz accused Barrack of contradicting President Trump's stance, calling the envoy's remarks "riddled with inaccuracies." Earlier that day, Katz had also rejected Barrack's claims that Israel passed inaccurate intelligence on Turkey, saying the military had recommended the strike based on clear intelligence. Israeli assessments reported by Israel Hayom found that Barrack does not represent Trump's actual position, and a senior Israeli official stated that Barrack was acting out of personal interest. The initial controversy stemmed from Barrack's statement to an independent reporter in which he described Israel's control of the Golan as an "occupation" in violation of UN resolutions.
The Trump administration broke with decades of US policy in March 2019 by formally recognizing the Golan Heights as part of Israel. As The Zioneer reported on Jul 26, UN Secretary-General António Guterres during a visit to Damascus described the Golan as Syrian territory and condemned Israeli actions, underscoring the continued international divide on the issue. Barrack's clarification restores alignment with the official US position after a day of public friction with Jerusalem.
The clarification does not address the ongoing dispute over intelligence regarding Turkish plans in Syria, which remains a point of tension between Barrack and Israeli defense officials. It remains to be seen whether Israeli leaders will formally accept the envoy's remarks as a resolution of the immediate terminological controversy.
6 developments
- StrongUN chief Guterres, on Damascus visit, says Golan Heights is Syrian territory, condemns Israeli actions
- DevelopingFormer Trump envoy says his Hezbollah tweet signals major policy shift toward Iran
- StrongSyria condemns Colombia's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Golan Heights
- DevelopingFormer Ambassador Oren: Trump's approach shifts daily, Israel won't concede core demands
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