State Department Just Contradicted Netanyahu on ‘Golan Heights’ — Ted Cruz Jumps In

The U.S. State Department responded to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s call for international recognition of the Golan Heights as sovereign Israeli territory, claiming that the Golan Heights is not “part of Israel.”

A spokesman for the State Department, John Kirby, stated on Monday during a press conference: “The U.S. position on the issue is unchanged. This position was maintained by both Democratic and Republican administrations. Those territories are not part of Israel and the status of those territories should be determined through negotiations. The current situation in Syria does not allow this.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu said on Sunday during a government meeting on the Golan Heights that the “time has come after 50 years for the international community to acknowledge that the Golan Heights will permanently remain under Israeli sovereignty…”

U.S. presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz quickly responded to the State Department’s remarks on Tuesday.

“The government of Israel reiterated the reality that the Golan Heights are part of Israel’s sovereign territory. Given the presence of hostile terrorist organizations ranging from ISIS to Hezbollah on Israel’s northern border, it is foolhardy and dangerous for elements in the international community to try to pressure Israel to abandon the Golan to the chaos engulfing Syria…. The path to peace cannot involve Israel’s abdication of its own security. I applaud Prime Minister Netanyahu’s courage in standing up for the safety of his people. America stands with you.”

Photo credit: By EsclaOwn work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19073874

Amir Tsarfati, a Jewish Christian, is the founder and president of Behold Israel, a news site to correct the scarcity in trustworthy reportage on issues and events impacting Israel, and to resolve the uncertainty about who or what to believe.

Photo credit: Irish Defence Forces (Creative Commons) – Some rights reserved

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