Recognizing today the Golan Heights as sovereign Israeli territory, 72-year-old President Donald Trump continued to antagonize Palestinians and Arab states that view the Golan Heights as “occupied” territory. Trump’s recognition of Golan Heights as Israeli territory takes off the table any negotiation with Palestinians for a future two-state solution if ever possible. Since the 1967 Six Day War, Israel captured Egypt’s Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula, Jordan’s West Bank and East Jerusalem and Syria’s Golan Heights. Fifty-years of U.S.-peacemaking expected Israel to abide by Nov. 22, 1967 U.N. Resolution 242, demanding Israel return to the pre-Six Day War borders before agreeing to peace. Over the last 50 years, Golan Heights has become a strategic high plateau, protecting Israel from various terrorist attacks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Trump for recognizing Israel’s Golan Heights.
Trump turned Mideast peacemaking on it head Dec. 6, 2017 when he recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, something no other president did in the past. By an act of U.S. Congress AKA Oct. 23, 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act, the U.S. government recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. No U.S. president since Bill Clinton, implemented the act, fearing backlash in the Arab World. Trump changed all that Dec. 6, 2017, officially implementing the Jerusalem Embassy Act, some 23 years after it passed. Today’s recognition of the Golan Heights as Israel’s sovereign territory takes off the table any attempt by peace negotiators to return the Golan Heights to Syria. “After 52 years, it is time for the United State of fully recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights,” Trump tweeted today. Bound to antagonize Palestinians, Trump stated the obvious Israeli policy.
With U.S. Israeli Amb. Jason Greenblatt and White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner working on a comprehensive Mideast peace plan, declaring the Golan Heights sovereign territory is bound to antagonize Palestinians. Golan Heights is “of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!” Trump tweeted today. Meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday, Trump announced his decision, sending a loud message before Israeli elections that the U.S. has Israel’s back. Netanyahu plans to speak to the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee [AIPAC] March 24. White House officials have dropped the Arab term of “occupied” territories in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, now calling them Israeli-controlled territories. Rejecting the term “occupied” runs counter to the Palestinian and Arab narrative.
Palestinians held not one inch of sovereign territory before Israel’s May 14, 1948 Declaration of Independence. Before the end of WW 1 Nov. 11, 1918, the Ottoman Turkish Empire controlled the holy land for 700 years. There was no group of Arabs before or after WW I known as Palestinians. After WW I, the British controlled the holy land, in what was called the British Mandate of Palestine. When the British government handed the mandate to Israel in 1948, no Arabs living in Jerusalem or the British territory were known as Palestinians. Only after Yasser Arafat formed the Palestine Liberation Organization [PLO] May 28, 1964 did Arabs living in the holy land call themselves Palestinians. Since the official end of the Ottoman Empire in 1922, Ottoman land was divided to Britain, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. Palestinians held no sovereign territory at any time in Mideast history.
Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and Golan Heights as Israeli sovereign territory infuriates Ramallah and Gaza-based Palestinians and the Cairo-based Arab League. With the Ramallah, West Bank-based PLO rejecting White House-brokered peace talks, Trump has moved ahead to recognize Israel. No longer calling the PLO-controlled West Bank or East Jerusalem “occupied” territories, the White sends a loud message to Palestinians that Israel’s calling the shots. Recent critical remarks by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Mnn.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) against Israel exposes deep divisions in the Democrat party when it comes to Israel. Omar and Ocasio-Cortez see Palestinians as an oppressed group, accusing AIPAC of buying off members of Congress. Republicans see it differently, believing Israel is the closet U.S. ally in the Middle East.
Trump has pulled no punches when it comes to recognizing Israel’s sovereignty in the holy land. Today’s announcement that he recognizes the Golan Heights sets to rest that any future Mideast peacemaking would return to the pre-1967 borders. Trump made it clear that the Golan Heights was nonnegotiable national security territory for Israel. Generations of peacemakers operated on the premise that Israel would return to the pre-1967 War borders, something no longer possible. Instead of returning to the peace table, Palestinians have staged violent protests on the Israeli-Gaza border. Yet Israel faces condemnation for using lethal force against violent Palestinians protests. Netanyahu’s visit with Trump and speech to AIPAC March 24 shows that he’s serious about his reelection. As long as Trump occupies the Oval Office, Israel enjoys the closest ally in U.S. history.
