I am writing to raise a serious concern regarding the repeated misrepresentation of the Golan Heights on the Good Morning Britain programme.
On at least two occasions, the show has displayed a geographical map of the Middle East that marks out countries and borders, and in both instances, the Golan Heights was shown as part of Israel, without even a dotted or contested border to reflect its disputed and illegally occupied status.
You can view the examples here:
This visual presentation is not only factually incorrect, but it also contradicts established international law and misleads viewers about the legal status of the territory.
Why this is incorrect under international law:
The Golan Heights is internationally recognised as Syrian territory.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 497 (1981) explicitly states that Israel’s decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration in the occupied Syrian Golan is null and void and without international legal effect.
The UN General Assembly and the International Court of Justice have consistently affirmed that the acquisition of territory by force is inadmissible under international law.
No country other than the United States has recognised Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and even that recognition has no legal validity under international law.
Presenting the Golan Heights as absorbed into Israel on a map, without any indication of dispute or illegality, is a serious editorial failure. It gives visual legitimacy to a military occupation in violation of international consensus and UK foreign policy.
At minimum, such maps should use dotted lines or clear disclaimers to reflect the disputed status of the territory. Anything less is a distortion of fact and a disservice to your viewers.
Request:
I respectfully urge ITV and the Good Morning Britain editorial team to:
Review the use of such maps in your programming.
Ensure that future geographic visuals accurately reflect international law and contested territories, including the occupied Golan Heights.
Consider issuing a clarification or on-air correction in the interest of accuracy and journalistic integrity.
I look forward to your response and hope this matter will be treated with the seriousness it warrants.
