Tom Barrack to "Asharq": "My statements regarding the Golan Heights and Lebanon were taken out of context"

Tom Barrack to "Asharq": "My statements regarding the Golan Heights and Lebanon were taken out of context"

The US envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack stated that his remarks - in which he considered Israel’s control over the Syrian Golan Heights to constitute an “occupation and a violation of UN resolutions” - were a description of a well-known historical context, emphasizing that United States policy has not changed.

On Saturday, Barrack had stated that Israel continues to occupy the Syrian Golan Heights, describing the matter as “violating United Nations resolutions and all international pacts which confirm that the Golan Heights is Syrian land.”

This position contradicts the stance of President Donald Trump’s administration, which recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights in 2019.

The matter was initially met with consideration as a significant shift in decades-long American policy, before Barrack walked back to clarify his intended meaning, which aligns with White House policies.