Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced yesterday a new settlement in the disputed Golan Heights territory would be named after US President Donald Trump. The naming ceremony followed a plan to build new developments in the occupied region, bordering Syria to the right, Jordan to the south, Lebanon to the north and Israel to the west. The 1,800 volcanic hilly terrain is regarded internationally as Syrian territory under Israeli control. This is also the view held by all member states of the United Nations.
It seems quite puzzling that Israel has decided to grant this piece of land – located tens of thousands of miles away from the US President – with a naming right.
Why has Israel paid tribute to Donald Trump with ‘Trump Heights’?
Israel has occupied Golan during the 1967 Six-Day war and Mr Natanyahu’s pandering to his American ally is no empty gesture.
His action is a personal thank you to Mr Trump for being the only world leader to date to recognise Israel’s claim of the Golan Heights.
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On March 21, 2019, the US President tweeted: “After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel’s Sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!”
Mr Trump has also stoked Middle Eastern tensions by recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
He also withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, despite widespread condemnation from western allies including the UK.
At the name unveiling on Sunday, Mr Netanyahu said: “Trump is a great friend of Israel.
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“He has torn the mask off this hypocrisy which doesn’t recognise the obvious.”
Tweeting in response, the US President thanked the Israeli leader and Israel for “this great honour”.
The sign was decorated with Israeli and US flags against Trump Heights written in English and Hebrew.
But despite Israel’s excitement, a memorandum from the prime minister’s office revealed the proposed settlement lacks funding and final approval.
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This comes down to the fact Mr Netanyahu currently heads a caretaker government without real authority after failing to form a coalition after elections in April.
The leader’s critics say Sunday’s ceremony was nothing more than a show of propaganda.
Zvi Hauser, an ex-Netanyahu cabinet secretary now with an opposition party, tweeted: “Whoever reads the small print on the ‘historic’ resolution understands that it is a dummy-resolution.”