Egypt, which currently holds a seat as a non-permanent member on the United Nations Security Council, has called a meeting of the international body to discuss last week’s declaration by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that “the Golan Heights will always remain under Israeli control. Israel will never withdraw from the Golan Heights.” The statement touched off a firestorm of criticism, leading to condemnations from the European Union , Germany , and US State Department . The Arab League went a step further, demanding a special criminal court be established to try Israel for the declaration. On Tuesday the Egyptian Mission to the UN convened a meeting of the Security Council to formally respond to what Egypt claims is Israel’s illegal unilateral actions. The Golan Heights were captured by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War. In 1981 the Israeli government annexed the Heights in a move that was quickly condemned by the US and United Nations. Observers do not anticipate the Security Council will take any drastic actions in response to Netanyahu’s declaration, particularly given the ongoing Syrian civil war and tensions between the West and embattled Syrian President Basher Al-Assad. The closed-door meeting, which is likely to take place later on Tuesday, is expected to issue a warning against unilateral actions to change the status of the Golan.
