Islamabad, Dec 17: Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to double the Israeli population in the occupied Golan Heights has sparked international criticism, with Germany urging Israel to reconsider and Turkey accusing it of attempting to “expand its borders through occupation.”
On Sunday, the Israeli prime minister’s office announced that the government would allocate Shk40 million ($11 million) to promote population growth in Israeli settlements within the Golan Heights. This area, seized from Syria during the 1967 Arab Israeli war and later annexed in 1981, is considered illegal under international law.
Netanyahu justified the move by citing Syria’s instability, pointing to the recent collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime following advances by an Islamist-led alliance.
Germany, a key ally of Israel, responded on Monday by calling for the plan’s abandonment. A German foreign ministry spokesperson firmly stated that, under international law, the Golan Heights belongs to Syria, reaffirming Israel’s status as an occupying power.
Turkey also condemned the plan, describing it as part of Israel’s broader agenda to “expand its borders through occupation” and warning that the move could heighten regional tensions.
Other nations, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, echoed similar concerns. Saudi Arabia accused Israel of undermining Syria’s efforts to restore security, while the UAE — one of the few Arab states to recognize Israel — labeled the decision a “deliberate effort to expand the occupation.”
The Golan Heights currently houses about 24,000 Israeli settlers alongside a similar number of Druze, an Arab minority group with roots across Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel.
Israel’s claim to sovereignty over the Golan Heights received US backing in 2019 during Donald Trump’s presidency. However, the majority of the international community still rejects Israel’s annexation of the territory.
Netanyahu’s new plan is part of a series of measures taken by Israel following Syria’s collapse that have intensified tensions across the Middle East.
