What Happened
A diplomatic rift has opened between Washington and Tel Aviv after US envoy Tom Barrack publicly asserted that Israel continues to occupy the Golan Heights in violation of United Nations resolutions. The comments, made while addressing escalating tensions involving Israel, Syria and Türkiye, directly contradict a major policy decision from President Donald Trump’s first term.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz immediately rejected the remarks, describing them as inaccurate and noting that Barrack’s position contradicted the stance established by his own president. The exchange highlights an unusual public disagreement between a senior American representative and the Israeli government over territory that has remained disputed for decades.
The Timeline
The legal status of the Golan Heights dates back to 1967, when Israel captured most of the territory from Syria during the Six-Day War. In 1981, Israel extended its laws and administration over the area in a move widely described internationally as annexation.
The United Nations Security Council responded with Resolution 497, declaring Israel’s decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration over the occupied Syrian Golan to be null and void. Consequently, most of the international community has continued to treat the region as occupied Syrian territory until this day.
This international consensus shifted dramatically on March 25, 2019, when President Trump signed a presidential proclamation recognising the Golan Heights as part of Israel, reversing decades of established US policy. Barrack’s latest comments are significant because they use language much closer to the traditional UN position than to that specific 2019 proclamation.
Who Said What
Barrack, who serves as US ambassador to Türkiye and acts as President Trump’s special envoy for Syria and Iraq, stated that Israel “still” occupies the territory. He argued that its control remains contrary to UN resolutions and the wider international position which regards the Golan as Syrian land.
The controversy also involved recent military actions in northern Syria. Barrack said the United States had not been warned before an Israeli strike on the Abu Duhur military airbase. Israel disputed this account, with Katz stating that Israel had transferred intelligence to relevant American authorities and had also warned senior Syrian officials before the operation.
Barrack added that US intelligence had examined claims of Turkish military activity at the site and concluded that the feared deployment was not taking place. He warned that the incident risked bringing Israel and Türkiye dangerously close to a direct military confrontation.
Why This Matters
The dispute comes at a particularly sensitive moment, with relations between Israel and Türkiye deteriorating and Israeli military operations inside Syria becoming another major source of regional tension. Türkiye is a NATO member and has increasingly supported Syria’s new government, including through military training, equipment and logistical assistance.
Israel, meanwhile, has repeatedly made clear that it will not accept military developments in Syria that it considers a threat to Israeli security. Following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government in late 2024, Israeli forces moved into a UN-monitored buffer zone separating Israeli and Syrian forces.
Syria’s current leadership has repeatedly said it does not want a war with Israel and has sought security negotiations aimed at reducing tensions. Barrack’s comments risk complicating these efforts by re-emphasising the occupation status of the Golan, a stance that defies the specific policy reversal enacted by President Trump in 2019.
The envoy subsequently tried to downplay his comment, stating that US policy of recognising Israel’s claimed sovereignty over Syrian territory remains unchanged. However, the initial remarks have already ignited a row that exposes deep fissures within the American diplomatic apparatus regarding how to handle long-standing regional disputes.