Arab League rejects Colombia's recognition of Israeli occupation sovereignty over the Golan, reaffirms Syrian sovereignty - Sarmad

(KUNA) – Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy expressed his rejection on Tuesday of Colombia’s declaration recognizing Israeli occupation sovereignty over the Syrian Golan Heights, affirming that such a declaration is legally null and void and does not alter the status of the Golan as occupied Syrian territory.

In a statement, Fahmy said that sovereignty over territories is not acquired through occupation, nor does it arise from the political stance of any state. He stressed that the legal status of the occupied Syrian Golan remains fixed and is unaffected by changes in governments or their political orientations.

In this context, he pointed to United Nations Security Council Resolution 497 of 1981, which deemed the occupying Israeli entity’s decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction, and administration on the occupied Syrian Golan null and void, with no international legal effect.

He emphasized that political positions, regardless of their source, cannot legitimize occupation, alter borders, or create rights over others’ territories. He underscored that respect for the rules of sovereignty and the principle of the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force constitute fundamental constants of international law.

The Arab League Secretary-General called on the Colombian government to retract its declaration and correct its position in accordance with the provisions of international law, United Nations resolutions, and the established international stance regarding the legal status of the occupied Syrian Golan.

He reaffirmed the Arab League’s unwavering support for Syrian sovereignty over the occupied Golan and its rejection of any measures or positions that would legitimize the Israeli occupation or entrench its outcomes.