Standing alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Monday recognising Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, formalising a move he announced last week.
President Trump said it was time for the U.S. to take the step after 52 years of Israeli control of the strategic highlands on the border with Syria.
“Today, aggressive action by Iran and terrorist groups in southern Syria, including Hezbollah, continue to make the Golan Heights a potential launching ground for attacks against Israel — very violent attacks,” Trump said.
“This should have been done numerous presidents ago,” Trump said.
Today, it was my great honor to welcome Prime Minister @Netanyahu of Israel back to the @WhiteHouse where I signed a Presidential Proclamation recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Read more: https://t.co/yAAyR2Hxe4 pic.twitter.com/gWp6nwRwsY
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 25, 2019
“This was a long time in the making,” Trump said alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, as he signed the proclamation.
Speaking ahead of the signing, Trump said the move would “allow Israel to defend itself” against the “significant security challenges it faces every single day.” He said Israel “took the Golan Heights to safeguard from external threats,” such as those it currently faces from Syria, Iran, and the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group.
According to the text of the proclamation, “Any possible future peace agreement in the region must account for Israel’s need to protect itself from Syria and other regional threats. Based on these unique circumstances, it is therefore appropriate to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.”
It proceeds to “hereby proclaim that, the United States recognizes that the Golan Heights are part of the State of Israel.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 25, 2019
The US president, speaking later in the Oval Office, also said he had studied the issue for “years” and “this should have been done, I would say, numerous presidents ago. But for some reason they didn’t do it, and I am very honoured to have done it.”
Israel captured the Golan from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War but the international community has refused to recognize Israeli’s sovereignty over the territory. During the war, Syria and three other Arab nations attacked the Jewish state.
In his remarks, Netanyahu thanked Trump for the “historic” recognition of the Golan Heights, and for his administration’s “incredible support” for Israel.
“Israel has never had a better friend than you,” Netanyahu told Trump.
“Your decision to recognize sovereignty is a two-fold act of historic justice: Israel won the Golan Heights in a just war of self-defense, and the Jewish people’s connection to that land goes back generations.”
Netanyahu said the mountainous plateau along the Syrian border was “invaluable” to Israel’s self-defense, and the “historic decision has profound meaning for me and us and all Israelis.”
“Your proclamation comes at a time when the Golan is more important than ever for our security, when Iran is trying to establish bases in Syria to strike at Israel. From across the border in Syria, Iran has launched drones into our airspace, missiles into our territory,” continued Netanyahu.
“Mr. President, just as Israel stood tall in 1967, just as it stood tall in 1973, Israel stands tall today. We hold the high ground and we shall never give it up.”
PM Netanyahu: "Your proclamation comes at a time when the Golan is more important than ever for our security, when Iran is trying to establish bases in Syria to strike at Israel. From across the border in Syria, Iran launched drones into our airspace, missiles into our territory" pic.twitter.com/H3KUCQPIqQ
— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) March 25, 2019
Source: World Israel News / Times of Israel / CUFI
