Qatar condemns Colombia's backing of Israeli Golan Heights claims

Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Colombia's endorsement of Israeli claims over the occupied Golan Heights, reaffirming Doha's rejection of Israel's continued occupation and territorial expansion in the region. The ministry said such positions run contrary to international law and undermine efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, according to a report by Middle East Eye. Qatar has consistently maintained that the Golan Heights, seized by Israel from Syria during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and unilaterally annexed in 1981, remains occupied Syrian territory under international law. The United Nations Security Council, in Resolution 497, declared Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights null and void and without international legal effect, a position upheld by the overwhelming majority of the international community. The only significant exception came in 2019, when the United States under President Donald Trump formally recognized Israeli sovereignty over the territory, a move that was widely rejected by the UN and most member states as a violation of established international law. Doha's condemnation of Colombia's stance reflects its broader foreign policy of opposing what it describes as Israeli expansionism, whether in the Golan Heights, the West Bank, or Gaza. Qatar has positioned itself as one of the most vocal Arab and Gulf states on Palestinian and regional sovereignty issues, frequently using its diplomatic weight and media platforms, including Al Jazeera, to challenge what it views as double standards in how Western and Latin American governments treat Israeli territorial claims compared to international law. The statement adds Colombia to the list of countries whose policies toward Israel Doha has publicly criticized, underscoring Qatar's consistent alignment with Syria's territorial claims and its wider rejection of unilateral changes to internationally recognized borders through military occupation.