UN General Assembly Demands Israeli Withdrawal from Golan while Israeli Ambassador Calls Vote “Disconnected from Reality”

The UN General Assembly today adopted a resolution declaring Israel’s authority in the Syrian Golan “null and void,” renewing long-standing international demands that Israel withdraw to the  1967 lines, the pre-war boundary under which the Golan Heights was part of Syria. Israel immediately rejected the vote, saying that the Golan is a crucial defensive barrier against Iranian-backed militias operating in Syria.

The Golan resolution passed by 123 votes in favor, 7 against and 41 abstentions. In addition to withdrawing from the Golan, it declares that Israel’s 1981 move to apply its laws and administration to the Golan has no legal validity and should be reversed, and calls on Israel to revive talks that have been frozen for years due to Syria’s turmoil.

Egypt introduced the draft, arguing that the international community maintains that acquiring territory by force is inexcusable, and Israel’s continued presence in the Golan violates international law. Turkey agreed, saying Israel’s occupation “is null and void, violates international law and must end,” and warning that no regional security framework can be built on the continued control of another country’s territory.

Syria’s representative told the Assembly that the Golan’s status is non-negotiable, calling it Syrian Arab land that his country has the right to fully restore. He noted that recent security talks with Israel conducted with United States support, are only aimed at mutual security concerns and do not affect Syria’s position on the territory. A later statement from the Syrian Foreign Ministry said the resolution confirms once again that acquiring land by force violates international law and thanked a growing group of countries that shifted from abstaining to supporting the measure, including key European countries such as France, Germany and Spain.

Israel forcefully rejected the resolution. Israel’s representative urged delegations to vote against the text, arguing that the resolution fails to acknowledge ongoing cross-border attacks or the strategic importance of the Golan as a shield for northern Israel. He also criticized the Assembly for advancing resolutions without addressing Hamas, Iranian proxies or the impact of recent attacks on Israeli civilians.

After the vote, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, blasted the outcome on X, saying: “The UN General Assembly once again proves how disconnected it is from reality. Instead of addressing the crimes of the Iranian axis and the dangerous activities of militias in Syria, it demands that Israel withdraw from the Golan Heights — a vital defense line that protects our citizens.” He added in a second paragraph: “Israel will not return to the 1967 lines and will not abandon the Golan. Not now, not ever.”

Additionally, a second resolution adopted today was on the “peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine.”. It passed by 151 votes to 11 with 11 abstentions, and calls for renewed negotiations, an international peace conference in Moscow and a full Israeli withdrawal from territories captured in 1967. Israel’s representative said the text ignores fundamental realities, including the need to disarm Hamas and the absence of any reference to the 7 October attacks, ongoing violence or the bodies of two hostages still held in Gaza.