Israel slams UN resolution calling for Golan Heights withdrawal as security arrangement talks with Syria show no progress

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a near-annual resolution calling for Israel to withdraw from the Golan Heights, against the backdrop of increasing U.S. pressure on Israel to advance the talks over a security arrangement with the new Syrian regime.

The resolution demanding Israel’s withdrawal from the strategic plateau passed with 123 countries in favor, seven against and 41 abstentions.

Another resolution demanding Israel withdraw from Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem passed with 151 countries in favor, 11 against and 11 abstentions. Similar resolutions have been passed almost every year.

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, said the resolutions highlighted the UNGA’s lack of connection to reality.

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… pic.twitter.com/HJGYrQDeRT

— Danny Danon 🇮🇱 דני דנון (@dannydanon) December 2, 2025

“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. Israel will not return to the 1967 lines and will not abandon the Golan. Not now, not ever,” said Danon.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Foreign Ministry praised the decision, particularly lauding the fact that the number of nations supporting it increased from 97 last year to 123.

The nations shifting their vote include France, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Guatemala, Iceland, Italy, Spain, and others.

The statement noted that this “clearly and unequivocally reflects the significant support for the new Syria and its national, principled position upholding the occupied Syrian Golan” and also “affirms the principle of the inadmissibility of acquiring land by force, and declares the illegality of settlements and other Israeli activities in the occupied Syrian Golan.”

The Golan Heights are a volcanic plateau in Israel’s northeastern corner, which was captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War and officially annexed in 1981. It is populated by some 53,000 people, including some 23,000 Druze.

The Syrian government also noted that its engagement “in serious discussions on technical matters that may relate to its security, and the security and stability of the region,” doesn’t mean it relinquishes its claim on the Golan Heights.

The U.S. has been pressuring Syria and Israel to sign an agreement that would formalize their security relations along the border, including the possibility of a renewal of the 1974 Ceasefire Agreement.

A full Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights was never part of the talks, which is probably what prompted the Syrian statement reiterating its claim to the area.

U.S. President Donald Trump repeated his call to Israel and Syria to reach an agreement after tensions rose again following an ambush on an Israeli raid on Syrian territory in which six IDF soldiers were wounded, two terrorists were arrested and at least 13 Syrians were killed.

🚨🇸🇾 A new report warns that multiple terror groups, including PIJ, ISIS, Houthi-linked cells, and Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya, are building up in southern Syria, plotting attacks toward the Israeli Golan Heights.
The report also notes the Syrian regime still isn’t stopping… pic.twitter.com/oX3F58RNb3

— Terror Alarm (@Terror_Alarm) December 2, 2025

On Tuesday, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the wounded soldiers in the hospital, and declared Israel is ready to negotiate with the new Syrian regime but will “stand by its principles” to prevent a repeat of Oct. 7.

“After October 7, we are determined to defend our communities along our borders, including the northern border,” said, noting that Israel’s actions are aimed at “preventing the entrenchment of terrorists and hostile activities against us, protecting Druze allies and ensuring that the State of Israel is safe from ground or other attacks.”

“What we expect Syria to do, of course, is to establish a demilitarized buffer zone from Damascus to the buffer zone area, including, of course, the approaches to Mount Hermon and the summit of Mount Hermon. We hold these territories to ensure the security of the citizens of Israel, and that is what obligates us.”

“In a good spirit and understanding of these principles, it is also possible to reach an agreement with the Syrians, but we will stand by our principles in any case,” said Netanyahu.