UN Chief, Arabs Condemn US Decision on Syrian Golan Heights

Speaking at the annual Arab League summit in Tunisia Sunday, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said any resolution to the Syrian conflict must guarantee the territorial integrity of Syria "including the occupied Golan Heights."

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This was a response to the United States President Donald Trump's proclamation last week recognizing the Golan Heights as part of Israel, which annexed the area in 1981 after capturing it from Syria in 1967.

Guterres also reiterated a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine saying that it is “imperative.”

The U.S. was isolated at the United Nations Security Council last Wednesday as the other countries on the council opposed the move which they decried as a violation of the international resolution.

Arab leaders present in the summit Sunday also condemned the U.S. decision and said Middle East stability depended on creating a Palestinian state.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz told Arab monarchs, presidents and prime ministers at the meeting that his country "absolutely rejects" any measures affecting Syria's sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

The Saudi king's condemnation echoed those of Arab officials before Sunday's summit of the Arab League, which usually ends with a final declaration agreed on by the 22 member states. "Occupation is a crime and legalizing it is a sin," Arab League chief Ahmed Abdul Gheit said Sunday.

Trump's Golan decision followed a U.S. move less than four months ago to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a decision that also drew Arab condemnation. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.

Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi said Arab leaders also needed to ensure the international community understood the importance of the Palestinian cause to Arab nations.

Regional and international stability should come through "a just and comprehensive settlement that includes the rights of the Palestinian people and leads to the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital," Essebsi said.