Trump recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights: world reaction

US President Donald Trump has signed a document recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Trump for this step.

Photo: video frame

Trump signed a document at the White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who flew to Washington for talks, writes Air force.

“This should have happened decades ago,” Trump said after signing the document.

The decree was a continuation of Trump’s rhetoric - on March 21, he saidthat the US should fully recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

Trump, signing the decree, said that Israel took possession of the territory during the war to defend their country.

“The heinous attack that occurred this morning shows us the security challenges Israel faces every day, and today I am taking a historic step to help Israel defend itself,” Trump said before signing the order.

Photo: video frame

Both Israel and Syria consider the Golan Heights to be part of their territory.

The Israelis annexed the territory during the six-day war of 1967, and in 1981, this region was taken under Israeli jurisdiction.

This step has not yet received international recognition.

President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu Deliver Remarks https://t.co/aV37ekZr9K

- The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 25, 2019

The reaction of Russia and Syria

The Russian Foreign Ministry has for several days opposed the recognition of the Golan as Israeli, insisting that it is the territory of Syria.

“This could lead to a new round of tension—I’m using diplomatic language—in the Middle East region. Such things, precisely because they are outside the legal space, since they ignore all international developments, Security Council resolutions, Security Council decisions, they, unfortunately, can only aggravate the situation,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on Trump’s move on Monday.

The Syrian side said it believes that Trump’s move is an attempt on his sovereignty.

“The Syrian Arab Republic condemns in the strongest terms the irresponsible statements of the American President regarding the occupied Syrian Golan,” a diplomatic source told SANA.

In late February, Republican Congressman Mike Gallagher and his party members, Senators Ted Cruz and Tom Cotton, introduced a bill according to which US policy should be recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

On March 13, Gallagher, Cruz and Cotton called for recognition of the Golan Heights as Israeli territory, explaining that Iran and Hezbollah station their fighters near this territory. Washington must respond to aggression that seriously threatens Israel, they said.

Former CIA director and former US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, commenting on Trump’s decision on CNN, recalled that Netanyahu would have elections in two weeks, and the time that Trump chose for his statement was connected with this circumstance.

Recall that 6 December 2017, US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and called on the State Department to begin the process of moving the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, opening of the embassy in this city, it was timed to the 70 anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel.

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