A piece of land has been chosen for a village to be named after US President Donald Trump in gratitude for Washington’s decision to recognize the Jewish State’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, Prime Minister Netanyahu says.
Not disclosing the exact name of the settlement, Benjamin Netanyahu said that he will bring the name to the cabinet for approval as soon as the new community is established.
Netanyahu announced his symbolic gesture on Twitter in mid-April shortly after his alliance won the majority of seats in parliament. Filmed against the Golan Heights landscape, the prime minister said the Israelis were “deeply moved” by Trump’s “historic” decision to recognize the region as part of the Jewish State.
When the leaders signed a declaration on the disputed region in late March, Netanyahu called it “historic justice” and a “diplomatic victory,” while Trump praised the “powerful” relationship between the US and Israel.
Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed it in 1981. Tel Aviv’s actions are, however, considered illegal by the UN Security Council – an assessment which Washington agreed with until recently.
Meanwhile, the US’ move was blasted by Arab states, with Syria calling the decision “a blatant aggression” and a “slap” to the international community.
Notably, Trump’s stance on the Golan Heights was also rejected by Washington’s NATO allies. French President Emmanuel Macron said the decision “violates international law and creates tensions in the region,” while the EU’s foreign affairs chief, Federica Mogherini, said ignoring the UN resolutions on the Golan Heights is “not a solution.”
In 2017, the Trump administration recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and later moved the US Embassy there, drawing criticism from around the world.
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