Lebanese President Michel Aoun told a delegation from the US Congress on Friday that his country would object any attempts to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Shebaa Farms and the Kfarshouba hills, which are considered part of the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.
During his meeting with Peter Yeo, senior vice president at the United Nations Foundation, and members of the US Congress visiting Beirut, Aoun said: "Lebanon has the right to restore its occupied territories using all possible means.”
The recent move of US President Donald Trump to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights has caused concern among Lebanese officials that Washington’s decision would mean recognizing the occupied Shebaa Farms as Israeli territory.
Lebanon says the zone is Lebanese territory while Israel considers it part of the Golan.
The United Nations has long held the area was inside Syrian territory occupied by Israeli forces in the 1967 Middle East war. But Beirut says Israel should have withdrawn from the zone when it pulled its forces out of south Lebanon in 2000.
The Lebanese President renewed Beirut’s commitment to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and said cooperation between the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL, the peacekeeping missing in southern Lebanon, has achieved stability along the southern border for the past 13 years.
Aoun and the delegation also tackled the Syrian refugee crisis.
The President said it was important for the return of displaced Syrians to safe zones in their country, and briefed his visitors on the effects of the crisis on Lebanon.
He rejected attempts to link their return with a political solution in Syria.
Aoun also called on US companies to participate in Lebanon's second bidding round for offshore oil and gas exploration.
