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US President Donald Trump said Thursday that it was time to support Israeli sovereignty over Israel's occupied Golan Heights, an announcement that marks a change in US policy and comes ahead of the Israeli Prime Minister's planned visit to the White House next week.
"After 52 years, it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of paramount importance to the security and strategy of the state of Israel." and regional stability! " Trump tweeted, without providing any other details.
His tweet arrived while US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in Jerusalem. Asked about Trump's tweet, Pompeo declined to comment.
Israel seized a large part of the Golan Heights from Syria during the Six Day War of 1967, and then effectively annexed it in 1981, an initiative that has never been recognized by the international community.
A few minutes after the announcement made by Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted his appreciation. "As Iran seeks to use Syria as a platform to destroy Israel, President Trump boldly recognizes Israeli sovereignty on the Golan Heights, thank you, President Trump!"
He added that Trump had "done the story" with his ad.
In addition to their policy towards Palestinians, the United States has adopted a hard line with Iran, much to the delight of Netanyahu.
"You can imagine what would have happened if Israel had not been in the Golan," said the Israeli prime minister. "You would have Iran on the shores of the Sea of Galilee."
Richard Habad, a former senior state department official, chairman of the Foreign Relations Council, said in a tweet that he strongly disagreed with Trump's decision in the Golan Heights.
He said the measure violated UN Security Council Resolution 242, "which prohibits the acquisition of territory by war and serves Israel, as all states have the right to live in peace."
Visit Pompeo
During his visit, Pompeo praised the warm ties with Israel and promised to intensify the pressure on Iran. Pompeo's words gave a public boost to the Israeli leader at the height of a tight re-election campaign.
Although former state secretaries have traditionally met with Palestinian leaders during their visit to the region, Pompeo has not planned such discussions.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said Pompeo's visit was a further obstacle to hopes for peace.
"While they claim to be trying to resolve the conflict, such acts only make it more difficult to resolve," he said.
Earlier this month, a senior US administration official told reporters in Washington that "there was no change in [US] our policy vis-à-vis these territories and the need for a negotiated settlement in these regions ".
The official was answering questions about why the United States had changed their description of the Golan Heights in its latest annual report on human rights, in which the area was described as "controlled by Israel" and not "Israeli occupation", as previously stated.
Trump, who has shown strong support for Israel, his closest ally, has recognized Jerusalem as the country's capital in 2017, defying the international consensus and annoying Palestinian leaders, who see East Jerusalem annexed by Israel as the capital of their country. future state.
Last month, US Senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Tom Cotton and MP Mike Gallagher presented a bill to the House of Representatives and the Senate to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights. .
SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies
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