Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel for almost 60 years, would perpetually remain part of Israel.
His comment came as criticism grew after Israel’s takeover of a buffer zone along its border with Syria.
Speaking at a press conference in Jerusalem, Netanyahu thanked US President-elect Donald Trump for recognizing Israel’s 1981 annexation of the territory during his first term and said “the Golan will be part of the State of Israel for eternity.”
Israel captured most of the mountainous plateau from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and has occupied it ever since, repelling a Syrian attempt at reconquest in the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.
Netanyahu said Israeli control of the high ground “ensures our security and sovereignty.”
Over the weekend, he ordered troops to move into a UN-patrolled buffer zone — on the east of the Israeli-annexed Golan — after Islamist-led rebels toppled President Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
The United Nations and Israel’s neighbors denounced the move, with a UN spokesman on Monday saying Israel’s actions were “a violation” of the 1974 disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said the seizure of the buffer zone confirms “Israel’s continued violation of the rules of international law, and its determination to sabotage Syria’s chances of restoring its security, stability and territorial integrity.”
Netanyahu said on Sunday that the collapse of the Assad government and the Syrian army abandoning its posts had invalidated the agreement.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Monday said the takeover of the buffer zone was “a limited and temporary step we took for security reasons.”
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller voiced understanding of Israel’s actions which, he said, “are not permanent” and “ultimately, what we want to see is lasting stability between Israel and Syria, and that means we support all sides upholding the 1974 disengagement agreement.”