US lawmakers offer bills on Israeli rule of G. Heights

By Umar Farooq

WASHINGTON (AA) - Republican lawmakers introduced companion resolutions in the House of Representatives and Senate this week that recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Syrian territory of the Golan Heights, which is currently being occupied by Tel Aviv.

The resolution was introduced Tuesday in the Senate by Senator Ted Cruz and in the House by congressman Mike Gallagher, and co-sponsored by 16 other Republican legislators, including senator Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio, and congressman Mark Meadows.

Cruz cited the Iranian threat as justification for the acknowledgement of Israel’s control over the territory, saying it is a matter of national security for Israel and the U.S.

"The United States has been committed for over 40 years to ensuring Israel’s security from attacks emanating from across the Golan Heights," Cruz said in a statement.

The bill also called for joint projects to be conducted between Washington and Tel Aviv in Golan Heights in science, industrial and agricultural research.

Israel occupied the Golan Heights during the 1967 Six-Day War, capturing it from Syria.

It was formally brought under Israeli law in 1981 under then-Prime Minister Menachem Begin in a move that has never been recognized by the international community, and was met with criticism at the time by Washington.

It remains sovereign Syrian territory under international law, and Syria’s UN envoy vowed the country would retain the territory either peacefully or by war.

Last year, 150 countries voted in favor of a UN resolution that said Israel’s occupation of the Golan Heights is in violation of international law.