‘Very nice’: Netanyahu pleased with Trump’s approval of Israel map including occupied Golan Heights

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu beamed as he showed off a new, Donald Trump-signed US State Department map which redraws Israel’s border to include the Golan Heights – an occupied territory annexed from Syria.

The map was passed along at a meeting on Thursday between Netanyahu and White House adviser Jared Kushner, according to Israel Channel 13 journalist Yosef Yisrael.

Kushner’s visit is part of an international tour to sell the much-anticipated Middle East peace plan, set to be unveiled this summer, but the territory-divvying map does not bode well for peace in the region.

US President Trump left his signature on the printout of the map, along with a singular word of approval: “Nice,” which Netanyahu later one-upped in a press conference, calling it “very nice.”

Palestinian leaders have vowed to boycott Washington’s peace effort, including a conference planned for June in Bahrain, stating they have not been consulted about the meeting.

“Any Palestinian who would take part would be nothing but a collaborator for the Americans and Israel,” Palestinian Authority social affairs minister Ahmed Majdalani told Reuters.

The Trump administration recognized the city of Jerusalem as Israel’s “eternal and undivided” capital last year and moved its embassy into the city from Tel Aviv, a decision widely regarded as favorable to Israel.

The administration’s peace plan is also reportedly expected to allow Israel to retain sovereignty over West Bank settlements, which are considered illegal under international law.

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