In March 2019, President Trump made a stunning announcement. The United States recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, an area crucial for Israeli’s defense. But now, the Biden administration seems to be walking away from the U.S. recognition of Israel’s sovereignty. Israel’s sovereignty over Golan
Per Adam Kredo of the Free Beacon:
The Trump administration declared the territory—seized by Israel from Syria in 1967 and later annexed by the country—to be wholly part of the Jewish state in 2019. Then-secretary of state Mike Pompeo took a trip to the area in 2020 and reaffirmed that America formally abandoned a decades-long policy of considering the area occupied.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken first raised questions about the Biden administration’s view on the matter in February, when he would not say if his State Department continues to abide by the former administration’s decision. At the time, Blinken would only say the Golan Heights “remains of real importance to Israel’s security,” but that its formal status remains unclear. Pressed on the issue by the Washington Free Beacon, a State Department official said the territory belongs to no one and control could change depending on the region’s ever-shifting dynamics.
That position was confirmed in an email to Kredo earlier this week:
Before the Six-Day War, Syrian artillery steadily rained down on the Israeli farms and villages in the Galilee below. Its military was poised to use the high ground to attack Israel. By taking over the most strategically important areas of the Golan in June 1967, the Galilee was protected, and the IDF acquired an optimal line of defense to hold back a Syrian ground attack.
More recently, Iran deployed several thousand Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps troops in Syria to help Assad. Additionally, Iran has brought in its buddy Hezbollah to join in on the war. To put the icing on the Iranian cake, Iran’s bought in thousands of Shiite fighters, paid by Tehran and following Iran’s orders.
But don’t think that Iran is trying to help their buddy Assad out of the goodness of their collective hearts. Its presence in Syria helps the rogue regime fulfill two interrelated strategic objectives.
Iran Wants A Land Bridge To The Sea
To help Iran control the Middle East, one of its objectives has been to create a “land bridge” to the Mediterranean. Control of territory leading to the sea enables Iran to safely move people and supplies between the Mediterranean and Tehran whenever they want. The smooth movement of people and supplies allows Shia Muslim Iran to advance its quest to replace and control the governments of the Sunni states of Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
“The secretary was clear that, as a practical matter, the Golan is very important to Israel’s security,” a State Department official told the Free Beacon. “As long as [Bashar al-Assad] is in power in Syria, as long as Iran is present in Syria, militia groups backed by Iran, the Assad regime itself—all of these pose a significant security threat to Israel, and as a practical matter, the control of the Golan remains of real importance to Israel’s security.”
Recognizing Israel’s control as a “practical matter,” however, falls far short of the formal policy change ordered by the Trump administration, which became the first government to recognize Israel’s complete control over the territory. As it stands now, U.S. policy on the matter is unclear, at best.
Trump recognized the Israeli annexation of the Golan Heights. The Biden policy sounds like Israeli control of the Golan is temporary. Israeli control of the Golan is also important for the security of the United States. Control of the land by a staunch ally like Israel provides a check on the Iranian land bridge and their movement of supplies, weapons, and people with the intent of damaging U.S. interests in the region.
The new President of Iran is known by the accurate nickname of “the butcher.” Should they be able to get that land bridge, it makes Iran a more dangerous entity for Israel, the country Iran calls the Little Satan, AND the United States, Iran calls the US the BIG Satan.
Israel’s sovereignty over Golan
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