Benjamin Netanyahu Names Illegal Israeli Settlement ‘Trump Heights’ After Donald Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just unveiled the new illegal Golan Heights settlement that’s named after President Donald Trump.
BBC News reports that Netanyahu held a naming ceremony on Sunday in which he honored Trump for recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the territory. But Netanyahu’s resolution is not supported by law, which means that the occasion falls short of declaring the establishment of a settlement.
“Anyone who reads the fine print in this ‘historic’ decision will understand that this is nothing more than a nonbinding, fake policy,” said former cabinet secretary Zvi Hauser.
“Let’s hope President Trump does not know that his name is being used for this public relations exercise.”
As The Inquisitr previously reported, Netanyahu revealed his plans for the resolution back in April during a tour of the region.
“All Israelis were deeply moved when President Trump made his historic decision to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.”
Trump timed his declaration just as Netanyahu was fighting for re-election — which he later succeeded in winning. Netanyahu’s re-election marks his fifth term as prime minister and came on the heels after he announced his plan to annex Jewish settlements on the West Bank, which Palestinians currently wish to establish as their own.
But the Syrian government believes that Trump’s decision to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Levant region was “irresponsible.” It suggested that the decision could be threatening international peace and may fuel the present instability in the area.
Golan Heights: Israel unveils 'Trump Heights' settlement https://t.co/QGBnX3dADR
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) June 16, 2019
Israel seized Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it in 1981. The region overlooks the Jordan Rift Valley — home to 47,000 people, most Israeli — and covers 700 square miles.
Before Trump’s declaration, no country recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Critics of the move believe that it’s a political stunt with no legal bearing and even suggest that it could further drive the rise of authoritarianism that is purportedly taking place across the globe.
One notable critic of Netanyahu is Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who called him a “Trump-like figure.” In reference to the Trump administration’s pro-Israel stance in the eyes of pro-Palestinian activists, Ocasio-Cortez claims that she understands her role in facilitating the process of recognizing Palestine — a goal held by some members of Congress before her election.
“I hope to play a facilitating role in this conversation and a supportive role in this conversation. But I also know that there have been people leading on this for a long time, like Congresswoman [Betty] McCollum.”
