Arab League rejects Colombia's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Golan Heights

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy has rejected Colombia's announcement recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, stressing that the declaration is "legally void" and has no bearing on the status or sovereignty of the Golan.

Fahmy emphasized that the Golan remains occupied Syrian territory under international law and relevant UN resolutions, clarifying that sovereignty over land cannot be acquired through occupation or by unilateral political decisions of any state.

The Secretary-General cited UN Security Council Resolution 497 of 1981, which declared Israel's imposition of its laws, jurisdiction, and administration on the Golan null and void and without international legal effect. He affirmed that political stances, regardless of their source, cannot legitimize occupation, alter borders, or create rights over another's land.

He further stressed that the legal status of the occupied Syrian Golan is unaffected by changes in governments or their political orientations, warning that subjecting the principles of sovereignty and the inadmissibility of acquiring territory by force to shifting political positions would undermine the foundations of the international order.

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Fahmy called on the Colombian government to reverse its announcement and align its position with international law, UN resolutions, and established international references regarding the status of the occupied Syrian Golan.

The Secretary-General reiterated the Arab League's firm stance in supporting Syria's sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights and rejecting any measures or positions that would legitimize the Israeli occupation or entrench its consequences.