Syrian President Assails Israel at UN, Claims Golan Heights

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad addressed the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, launching a strong condemnation of Israel. He accused Israel of violating Syrian sovereignty and undermining regional stability, specifically regarding the Golan Heights. Assad reiterated Syria's claim to the territory, stating, "The Golan will remain Syrian land and all annexation measures are null and void by Security Council Resolution 497. We ask our friends to reflect what international law says."

Assad further alleged that Israel had conducted over 500 airstrikes and more than 1,200 incursions into Syrian territory, detaining approximately 300 Syrian civilians. In contrast, he highlighted Syria's actions concerning international oversight of weapons of mass destruction, noting the dismantling of 42 chemical bombs and Syria's return to the Chemical Weapons Convention. He asserted Syria's full transparency with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Despite the harsh criticism, Assad concluded his speech by stating that a "historic opportunity for peace exists for those who want to live in peace, a just peace that preserves the rights of all."

During the UN assembly, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also voiced significant criticism of Israeli government actions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Sunak described the October 7th attacks as "horrific" and affirmed his country's continued support for Israel, but added that this "does not justify the government's actions."

Macron stated that Hamas had never acted violently in the West Bank. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to these remarks, calling them "outrageous absurdity." He cited the murder of a French-Israeli father of six by a Hamas terrorist in the West Bank on the eve of Yom Kippur, and numerous other Israeli victims, asserting that "ignorance is no excuse for erasing their blood."