US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria Barak said on the 23rd that his statement about Israel's “occupation” of the Golan Heights two days ago was misunderstood, and the official position of the US admitting Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights has not changed. Barak said during a conversation with Lebanese-Australian entrepreneur and investor Mario Naufal on the 21st that Israel is still “occupying” the Golan Heights. This statement caused an uproar in Washington. Republican Senator Rick Scott criticized on social media that the special envoy nominated by US President Trump seemed to have forgotten that Trump acknowledged Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights. The Golan Heights is a narrow strip of land in southwestern Syria, known as the “Middle East Water Tower”. Israel occupied this strategic location during the Third Middle East War in 1967, and since then has maintained actual control and refused to return it to Syria. The international community does not recognize the Golan Heights as Israeli territory. In 2019, during Trump's first term as president, the US administration announced that it recognized Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Barak told the Associated Press on the 23rd that his statement on the 21st was a “description of the historical status” of the Golan Heights and did not agree with the UN's position on the Golan Heights. “America's position on the Golan Heights was set by President Trump in 2019 and has not changed,” he said. Barak's previous statement about negotiations between Israel and Lebanon has also caused controversy. He has said that there are two sides missing at the negotiation table — Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran. This statement was interpreted by the media as the US side may want to bring Hezbollah and Iran into negotiations between Israel and Lebanon. Barak explained this on the 23rd: “I am describing how difficult it is to resolve the Israel-Lebanon issue, not to propose a new negotiation plan. Hezbollah is characterized by the US as a foreign terrorist organization, and we don't negotiate with them.”

US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria Barak said on the 23rd that his statement about Israel's “occupation” of the Golan Heights two days ago was misunderstood, and the official position of the US admitting Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights has not changed. Barak said during a conversation with Lebanese-Australian entrepreneur and investor Mario Naufal on the 21st that Israel is still “occupying” the Golan Heights. This statement caused an uproar in Washington. Republican Senator Rick Scott criticized on social media that the special envoy nominated by US President Trump seemed to have forgotten that Trump acknowledged Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights. The Golan Heights is a narrow strip of land in southwestern Syria, known as the “Middle East Water Tower”. Israel occupied this strategic location during the Third Middle East War in 1967, and since then has maintained actual control and refused to return it to Syria. The international community does not recognize the Golan Heights as Israeli territory. In 2019, during Trump's first term as president, the US administration announced that it recognized Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Barak told the Associated Press on the 23rd that his statement on the 21st was a “description of the historical status” of the Golan Heights and did not agree with the UN's position on the Golan Heights. “America's position on the Golan Heights was set by President Trump in 2019 and has not changed,” he said. Barak's previous statement about negotiations between Israel and Lebanon has also caused controversy. He has said that there are two sides missing at the negotiation table — Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran. This statement was interpreted by the media as the US side may want to bring Hezbollah and Iran into negotiations between Israel and Lebanon. Barak explained this on the 23rd: “I am describing how difficult it is to resolve the Israel-Lebanon issue, not to propose a new negotiation plan. Hezbollah is characterized by the US as a foreign terrorist organization, and we don't negotiate with them.”