The recent seizure of Syrian land on the Golan Heights by Israel is an ominous example of expansionism at its worst, in complete violation of property rights, if not a total human rights violation as well. The claim of Benjamin Netanyahu that the Golan will “forever be an inseparable part” of Israel shows utter disregard for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria. Netanyahu flippantly defied earlier treaties with Damascus using the dissolution of Syria’s internationally-recognized government after Assad’s departure as an excuse, claiming such treaties are no longer binding.
Libertarians understand that political borders are a human construct and that the individual has a natural right to self and property. The notion of national borders is an institutional contrivance, and the proper role of the state is the protection of individual rights, rather than the extension of territorial claims via aggression.