Recognition of Israeli claim violates international law
PHILADELPHIA (March 22, 2019): The Trump administration has indicated their intent to recognize Israeli claims to the Golan Heights. The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a Quaker organization that has worked in the region since 1948, spoke out against this decision.
“The American Friends Service Committee stands firmly against the Trump administration’s decision on the Golan Heights,” said Mike Merryman-Lotze, AFSC Palestine-Israel program director. “Recognizing Israel’s claim is a direct violation of international law, which prohibits the acquisition of territory through war. This action also goes against over 50 years of U.S. policy, which has not recognized Israel’s illegal annexation of the Golan after it was seized from Syria in 1967. The United Nations and the rest of the international community all continue to recognize the Golan as occupied Syrian territory.”
The Trump administration’s move could have dangerous implications for the cause of peace around the world, according to AFSC.
“At a time when war in Syria appears to be coming to an end, the U.S. has added a complication into the political dynamics that will make long term regional peace harder to realize,” Merryman-Lotze continued. “This move could also embolden Israel to annex the West Bank and will make it more complicated to address other international disputes, including the Russian occupation of the Crimea in the Ukraine. The prohibition on the acquisition of territory through force has been a central component of international law since World War II and is a factor maintaining stability in a number of locations around the world. Weakening this prohibition is a dangerous move, not only in the Middle East but globally.”
AFSC called for others in the U.S. to speak out against this decision.
“Responsible parties in the U.S. government should speak out and move to stop this dangerous change in policy,” Merryman-Lotze concluded.
To learn more about AFSC’s work for justice in Palestine and Israel, visit this page: https://www.afsc.org/key-issues/campaign/justice-palestine-and-israel
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The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace and humanitarian service. Its work is based on the belief in the worth of every person and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice.