Cotton to U.S.: Back Israel on Golan gain

U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton says it’s time for the U.S. government to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

The land, which borders Israel, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, once belonged to Syria. Israel captured most of the area during the Six-Day War and continues to control it.

The Republican from Dardanelle has visited the site, which touches the Sea of Galilee. The occupied portion includes Mount Hermon’s southern slopes

“It’s high ground for that territory. It’s militarily vital. Israel has held that ground since 1967. It’s inconceivable that they would ever return that ground because of its military value to Syria under any conditions, but especially under the conditions that Syria’s faced over the last seven years,” Cotton said in an interview Thursday.

Syria has been engaged in a bloody civil war in recent years.

Last month, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced a resolution “expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.” Cotton was the resolution’s co-sponsor.

“The reality on the ground is that the Golan Heights are part of Israel and they’re going to be part of Israel for as long as there is a nation of Israel. We should recognize that as a fact,” Cotton said.

“As you saw with the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the relocation of our embassy there it did not provoke widespread backlash. It has been a productive step forward because it allows all the various parties in the Middle East to focus on the issues that actually are in dispute and the Golan status is not in dispute as a factual matter.”