Australian government affirms Golan Heights policy after FM refers to 'Israeli city'
LONDON: The Australian government has reiterated its position that the Golan Heights are occupied territory, following recent comments by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who referred to the area as a “city in northern Israel”, The Guardian reported on Wednesday.
Wong's remarks, made in a statement posted on social media platforms X and Instagram, sparked a wave of backlash online, questioning whether she recognized Israeli sovereignty over the region, which Israel captured from Syria during the War for six days since 1967.
It follows a rocket attack on a city soccer field in the Golan Heights that killed 12 children.
The controversy arose from Wong's post, which began with the statement: “Australia unequivocally condemns the attack on the northern Israeli town of Majdal Shams.” Notably, the statement did not refer to the Golan Heights as occupied territory.
This omission raised concern from groups such as the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, which described the language used as “alarming”, pointing out that international recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights is limited, predominantly recognized only by Israel and the US under the Trump administration. .
In response, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade clarified that there had been no change in Australia's policy. “There is no change in our position that the Golan Heights are occupied by Israel as determined by the UN Security Council,” the spokesperson told Guardian Australia. “Our long-standing position is that the Golan Heights is a matter to be determined by Israel and Syria through negotiations in the context of a comprehensive peace agreement.”
A government source explained that the intention behind Wong's statement was to highlight the dangers of escalation and condemn the strikes that resulted in civilian casualties in Majdal Shams. The source added that the post “acknowledges that the city is administered and occupied by Israel.”
The issue gained further attention following a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Majdal Shams, a predominantly Druze village, where he promised a “tough” response to a recent rocket attack that killed 12 children. Netanyahu's visit was met with protests from some locals. Israeli and US officials attributed the attack to Hezbollah, although the Lebanese militant group denied involvement.
The international community has long contested Israel's control of the Golan Heights. A November 1967 UN Security Council resolution affirmed the “inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war” and called for Israel's withdrawal from the occupied territories. Furthermore, in 1981, the Security Council unanimously declared that “the Israeli decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the occupied Syrian Golan Heights is null and void and of no international legal effect.”
In a notable departure from international consensus, former US President Donald Trump announced in 2019 that the US would recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a decision he justified as essential to Israel's security and regional stability.
The situation has led to calls for clarity on Australia's position. Jordon Steele-John, foreign affairs spokesman for the Australian Greens, urged Minister Wong to reconcile his statement with the department's official policy, saying: “The community deserves to know why the minister's position is seemingly at odds with her own department.” .
The controversy follows Australia's decision last August to officially describe the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza as occupied Palestinian territories, in line with international law and the position of several allies, including the UK.
