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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Tuesday to "forever" maintain control of Golan Heights, a region captured during the so-called Six Day War in 1967.
"Golan Heights will always remain under Israeli sovereignty. We will never leave the Golan Heights. It is ours," Netanyahu said at a youth conference of the Ministry for the Development of the Negev and Galilee to mark the 50th anniversary of the war.
Despite the pledge, the international community, including its closest ally the United States, has never recognized Golan Heights as part of Israel's territory.
Israel has tried in vain to seize control of the Syria-controlled eastern third of the territory.
Soon after the 1967 war, the first group of Israelis moved to Golan Heights and established the first kibbutz there, Merom Golan (the height of the Golan).
Golan Heights is home to around 50,000 people, and more than half of them are Israelis. However, neighboring Palestine has been especially critical of Israel's presence in the region, saying prosperity on occupied land is not worthy of boasting.
Internationally, Israel has long argued that it must maintain the territory for security reasons and hoped the Trump administration would support this stance.
During Netanyahu's three-day visit to Washington in February, Israel asked the United States to recognize its sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement on Monday that Israel still occupies the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Syria's Golan Heights and the occupation "has imposed a heavy humanitarian and development burden" on Palestinians.
Guterres also urged Israelis and Palestinians to resume direct talks on a two-state solution that would end Israel's occupation.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
