 Faris al-Khoury's death came three months after the dissolution of the United Arab Republic between Egypt and Syria (1958–1961) during which he was an active political opponent.As a typical Syrian nationalist, he considered the territorial transfer of Hatay Province to Turkey by decision of the French government as illegal under international law.For that reason, he also opposed the proposal to declare every unprovoked invasion by armed gangs of another country as criminal under international law, claiming that such gangs often served interests of national liberation of certain territories.