US Envoy Tom Barrack Reverses Comments and Reaffirms Washington's Stance on Golan Heights

Pro-Israel advocates strongly criticised United States Ambassador Tom Barrack after he remarked that the United Nations considers the Golan to be Syrian territory. Following the backlash, the envoy walked back his statements to reassert Washington's position that the territory belongs to Israel.

Speaking to The Associated Press news agency in a statement on Sunday, US President Donald Trump’s ambassador to Turkiye and envoy for Syria underscored the administration's policy of recognising Israel’s claimed sovereignty over the stretch of land in southern Syria. He stated that United States policy on the Golan was set by President Trump in 2019 and remains unchanged.

Israel occupied the territory during the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed it in 1981. Prior to President Trump's backing of the Israeli claim, no other country had recognised the Golan as part of Israel, sparking widespread international outcry and warnings from legal experts regarding the global order. Although former US President Joe Biden promoted a rules-based order, he did not reverse the policy during his four-year term, and Colombia’s right-wing government has since joined the US in supporting the claim.

During an interview with podcaster Mario Nawfal on Friday, Barrack had initially appeared to acknowledge that the Golan is occupied Syrian land while discussing potential Israeli actions in southern Lebanon. He stated that Israel occupied the territory against UN resolutions and the international order.

The comments drew immediate criticism from pro-Israel advocates. Far-right commentator Laura Loomer called for his resignation on social media, while Republican Senator Rick Scott also rebuked the ambassador, reminding him of President Trump's executive order and 2019 proclamation regarding Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

In the same interview, Barrack also faced criticism for opposing recent Israeli air strikes on a Syrian airbase, suggesting the military actions were intended to bait Turkiye ahead of the US midterm elections in November.