US envoy Tom Barak to i24NEWS: "What I said is a historical fact"

The US special envoy to Syria, Tom Barak, clarifies in an interview with i24NEWS that his remarks about the Golan Heights being "occupied by Israel in violation of UN resolutions" described a historical fact and not a change in US policy. Barak explains that the comments were made in the context of explaining why he does not foresee annexation in Lebanon, and emphasizes that US policy on the Golan was set by Trump in 2019 and has not changed.

The US special envoy to Syria, Tom Barak, clarifies this evening (Sunday) in an interview with i24NEWS his comments that sparked controversy in Israel over the weekend. Barak said in previous interviews that "the Golan Heights is occupied by Israel in violation of the UN resolution," which led to condemnations in Israel. In the current interview, Barak explains: "What I said described a known historical fact, and was said in the context of explaining why I do not foresee annexation in Lebanon. The reference to the UN was meant to serve as evidence for the point I raised—that territory conquered by force remains disputed for generations, and in this case for more than fifty years, and has not yet been settled at the UN—and that is why I argue that understandings reached through negotiations, not maps, are what endure." Barak emphasizes: "This was not an expression of support for the UN position. United States policy on the Golan Heights was set by President Trump in 2019 and has not changed." Later in the interview, Barak addresses the June framework signed with the Lebanese government, and raises questions regarding the disarmament of Hezbollah and the role of Iran.