US Diplomat Takes Back Comment That Israel Occupies the Golan Heights

US diplomat Tom Barrack took back his August 21 statement that Israel illegally occupies the Golan Heights, matching Trump's 2019 decision to treat the area as Israeli land. Israel captured the Golan in 1967 and claimed it in 1981. Colombia joined the US in supporting Israel's claim in August 2026. No other countries agree.