Trump recognises Golan Heights as Israeli, boosting Netanyahu and angering Syria

[webfact]

Trump recognises Golan Heights as Israeli, boosting Netanyahu and angering Syria

By Steve Holland and Jeff Mason

 

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talks with U.S. President Donald Trump during their meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 25, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday recognised Israel's 1981 annexation of the Golan Heights in an election boost for visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, prompting a sharp response from Syria, which once held the strategic land.

 

With Netanyahu looking over his shoulder at the White House, Trump signed a proclamation officially granting U.S. recognition of the Golan as Israeli territory - a dramatic shift from decades of U.S. policy.

 

The move, which Trump announced in a tweet last Thursday, appeared to be the most overt gesture by the Republican president to help Netanyahu, who had been pressing Trump for the move since February 2017.

 

Israel captured the Golan in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it in 1981 in a move not recognised internationally.

 

Netanyahu, who faces an election on April 9, earlier on Monday said he was cutting short his U.S. visit after a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, blamed on Hamas, wounded seven people near Tel Aviv. Israel launched retaliatory air strikes in Gaza.

 

Israel's prime minister arrived in Washington on Sunday, originally for a four-day trip.

 

His chief rival for the premiership, Benny Gantz, also visited the U.S. capital, telling a major pro-Israel lobbying organization that he was the better alternative to lead the country.

 

In signing the proclamation, Trump said "This was a long time in the making."

 

He handed the pen that he used for his signature to Netanyahu, and said: "Give this to the people of Israel."

 

The prime minister welcomed Trump's action and said Israel had never had a better friend. He harked back to two previous Middle Eastern wars in justifying Israel's need to hang on to the Golan.

 

"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 should never give it up," he said.

 

Syria reacted swiftly to Trump's proclamation, calling it a "blatant attack" on its sovereignty and territorial integrity and saying it had a right to reclaim the Golan.

 

At the United Nations, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is "clear that the status of Golan has not changed," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. "The U.N.'s policy on Golan is reflected in the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and that policy has not changed," Dujarric said.

 

A U.N. Security Council resolution adopted unanimously by the 15-member body in 1981 declared that Israel's "decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights is null and void and without international legal effect." It also demanded Israel rescind its decision.

 

NATO ally Turkey termed the U.S. recognition unacceptable and said it would take action against it, including at the United Nations, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said. The Arab League also condemned the move.

 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has refused to talk to the United States since Trump ordered the U.S. embassy moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, expressed his "absolute rejection" of the Golan move in a statement issued by the Palestinian Authority news service Wafa.

 

“The presidency reaffirmed that sovereignty is not decided by either the US or Israel no matter how long the occupation lasts," the statement said.

 

The negative reactions reprised last week's response to Trump's tweet announcing the move. The announcement triggered direct or implied criticism from European as well as Middle Eastern countries and organizations, including Britain, Germany, France, the European Union, Turkey, Egypt, the Arab League and Russia.

 

Elsewhere in Washington, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a pro-Israel group, held its annual meeting with speaker after speaker expressing U.S. support for strong ties with the country.

 

"We stand with Israel because her cause is our cause, her values are our values, and her fight is our fight," Vice President Mike Pence said on Monday.

Pence also talked tough against Iran, saying that under Trump, "America will never allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon."

 

Netanyahu challenger Gantz appeared before the gathering, and vowed to protect his country against threats from Iran and Syria. He called for unity in Israel.

 

"We must remember if that we want hope, we must have unity," he said.

 

With election day approaching, opinion polls put Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud and Gantz’s centrist Blue and White party neck and neck.

 

(Reporting by Steve Holland and Jeff Mason; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-03-26

[brokenbone]

"We stand with Israel because her cause is our cause, her values are our values, and her fight is our fight," Vice President Mike Pence said on Monday. 

 

why ?

[ezzra]

42 minutes ago, brokenbone said:

"We stand with Israel because her cause is our cause, her values are our values, and her fight is our fight," Vice President Mike Pence said on Monday. 

 

why ?

Because israel, warts and all, is the true democratic country in that shithole called the middle east, the only country not governed or run by lunatic shiite/Sunni Islamic zealots and the only bastion unflipant choirant and solid people the US can call a true ally, THIS IS WHY... 

[Tug]

Ezra I agree with you I’m wondering what’s the pay off for donald

[Lungstib]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

in a move not recognised internationally.

Once again the US goes against the international community. Setting a precedent that land taken in a fight can be rightfully yours could well have the Russians and Chinese excited. 

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

the only country not governed or run by lunatic shiite/Sunni Islamic zealots 

just run by a different type of lunatic zealots. Just as much a danger to real peace in the middle east.

[malagateddy]

Ezzra can tell me if I'm correct in saying that muslims are members of the Israeli Parliament???
Can any of the Israel haters on this Forum tell me WHERE in the loony Shia/Sunny countries there are Jewish MP's???
Pakistan..Saudi..Syria..Egypt..Turkey..etc etc????????

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[maxx58]

It's all about the Benjamins, baby!!!

[brokenbone]

3 hours ago, ezzra said:

Because israel, warts and all, is the true democratic country in that shithole called the middle east, the only country not governed or run by lunatic shiite/Sunni Islamic zealots and the only bastion unflipant choirant and solid people the US can call a true ally, THIS IS WHY... 

saudi arabia & egypt is a lot more important for US

from a strategic PoV, and doesnt piss off everyone

in the neighborhood

[dexterm]

1 hour ago, malagateddy said:

Ezzra can tell me if I'm correct in saying that muslims are members of the Israeli Parliament???
Can any of the Israel haters on this Forum tell me WHERE in the loony Shia/Sunny countries there are Jewish MP's???
Pakistan..Saudi..Syria..Egypt..Turkey..etc etc????????

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Whose members are frequently suspended for questioning Israel's brutal subjugation of Palestinians, its apartheid laws, and questioning the racist supremacist ideology of Zionism. So much for freedom of speech.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haneen_Zoabi

 

While you completely ignore the elephant in the room of Israel's so called democracy: a 52 year illegal occupation of the majority indigenous Palestinian population.

[Kasset Tak]

Next step, recognizing Crimea as a part of Russia... At least Crimea was a part of Russia and USSR for 200 years and 65% of the population are Russians, while there were 0% Israelis/Jews living in the Golan heights when Israel occupied the area... so frankly, Russia have a stronger claim on Crimea than Israel have on Golan!!!

[ezzra]

2 hours ago, Tug said:

Ezra I agree with you I’m wondering what’s the pay off for donald

The pay off for Trump is his pandering to his huge base of christians evangelist who are pro israel and would love nothing more then to to strong Israel in its borders of the promised land as jesus''s land...

[malagateddy]

Oh no..here we go again..same old, same old[emoji30]

Whose members are frequently suspended for questioning Israel's brutal subjugation of Palestinians, its apartheid laws, and questioning the racist supremacist ideology of Zionism. So much for freedom of speech.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haneen_Zoabi
 
While you completely ignore the elephant in the room of Israel's so called democracy: a 52 year illegal occupation of the majority indigenous Palestinian population.

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[dexterm]

2 minutes ago, ezzra said:

The pay off for Trump is his pandering to his huge base of christians evangelist who are pro israel and would love nothing more then to to strong Israel in its borders of the promised land as jesus''s land...

The irony is of course that Christian evangelists are the biggest anti Semites of all. Because they believe  that when the second coming comes,  everyone, including Israeli Jews, who don't convert to Christianity will rot in hell forever.

[dexterm]

OP..
"We stand with Israel because her cause is our cause, her values are our values, and her fight is our fight," Vice President Mike Pence said on Monday.

 

I wonder if Pence has tried a simple google images search: Israeli soldier violence children.

An horrific litany of brutality, kidnapping, maiming and murder of children supported by US taxpayer funds.

Does Pence share those causes and values?

 

[dexterm]

4 minutes ago, malagateddy said:

Oh no..here we go again..same old, same old

 

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

 

If you post nonsense, I will fact check it.

[ezzra]

15 minutes ago, dexterm said:

Whose members are frequently suspended for questioning Israel's brutal subjugation of Palestinians, its apartheid laws, and questioning the racist supremacist ideology of Zionism. So much for freedom of speech.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haneen_Zoabi

 

While you completely ignore the elephant in the room of Israel's so called democracy: a 52 year illegal occupation of the majority indigenous Palestinian population.

Your venomous views on Israel, jews and zionism are well worn out by now, repeated and regenerated over and over again, while others might be swayed to listen to reasonable rebuttal and common sense, not you, your steadfast in your hatred towards anything Israel and infect, the only time you appear to comment on these pages is when an subject regarding israel or Palestinians are up, why is that sir?...

[dexterm]

4 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Your venomous views on Israel, jews and zionism are well worn out by now, repeated and regenerated over and over again, while others might be swayed to listen to reasonable rebuttal and common sense, not you, your steadfast in your hatred towards anything Israel and infect, the only time you appear to comment on these pages is when an subject regarding israel or Palestinians are up, why is that sir?...

I am vehemently opposed to the current right wing government of Israel and the racist supremacist ideology of Zionism. I have never once said anything anti Semitic. Please quote my words where you think I have done so.

 

I have contributed to the discussion on Trump and Brexit...the standard fare on this forum. Others are far more expert than I on those matters. I try to balance the extremist pro Zionist writers such as yourself; otherwise this forum would become a monologue.

 

 

[dexterm]

Not a single other country in the world, besides Israel and Trump, supports this illegal annexation of another country's land. Well maybe some tin pot central American dictatorships and Micronesia too.

So it is a waste of time and ink.

 

It will be reversed when the Trump admin goes.

 

It tramples all over international law, undermines US credibility and sets a very dangerous precedent that it is OK to acquire territory by war. Opens the flood gates to international anarchy.

[dexterm]

54 minutes ago, maxx58 said:

It's all about the Benjamins, baby!!!

Yes indeed it is.

Besides Golan being rich in water resources and facilitating Israel's control of the large freshwater Sea of Galilee, the area is exploited for tourism, vineyards and orchards, and wind farms.

 

Not forgetting of course the US energy company Genie that wants to explore potentially large oil reserves under the Golan. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner has family investments in Genie. Oil exploration and extraction will be difficult, unless Israel can argue that it has sovereignty over the territory.

[Spidey]

58 minutes ago, ezzra said:

The pay off for Trump is his pandering to his huge base of christians evangelist who are pro israel and would love nothing more then to to strong Israel in its borders of the promised land as jesus''s land...

Also, pandering to those Red Sea pedestrians from whence he gets his wealth and campaign funds.

[Spidey]

53 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Your venomous views on Israel, jews and zionism are well worn out by now, repeated and regenerated over and over again, while others might be swayed to listen to reasonable rebuttal and common sense, not you, your steadfast in your hatred towards anything Israel and infect, the only time you appear to comment on these pages is when an subject regarding israel or Palestinians are up, why is that sir?...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabra_and_Shatila_massacre

 

"In 1983, a commission chaired by Seán MacBride, the assistant to the UN Secretary General and President of United Nations General Assembly at the time, concluded that Israel, as the camp's occupying power, bore responsibility for the violence.^[21] The commission also concluded that the massacre was a form of genocide."^[22]

 

Could anyone support the perpetrators of genocide?

[Srikcir]

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

Your venomous views on Israel, jews and zionism are well worn out by now, repeated and regenerated over and over again

There is a broader audience of criticism to Israel's undemocratic behaviors towards minorities and specifically Arabs (approximately 20% of Israel's population).

Israel passes controversial 'nation-state' bill with no mention of equality or minority rights

July 19, 2018

• Making no mention of the values of equality and democracy, Israel has passed into law a highly controversial bill that serves to define the nature of the state of Israel, with critics slamming it as the "nail in the coffin" of Israeli democracy. https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/19/middleeast/israel-nation-state-legislation-intl/index.html

 

 

[ezzra]

31 minutes ago, Spidey said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabra_and_Shatila_massacre

 

"In 1983, a commission chaired by Seán MacBride, the assistant to the UN Secretary General and President of United Nations General Assembly at the time, concluded that Israel, as the camp's occupying power, bore responsibility for the violence.^[21] The commission also concluded that the massacre was a form of genocide."^[22]

 

Could anyone support the perpetrators of genocide?

The UN"" PPFFF.... is that the same UN that appointed of the Islamic Republic of Iran UN Women’s Rights Committee? the same Iran that execute women for adultery? Yeah the same UN...

[Spidey]

3 minutes ago, ezzra said:

The UN"" PPFFF.... is that the same UN that appointed of the Islamic Republic of Iran UN Women’s Rights Committee? the same Iran that execute women for adultery? Yeah the same UN...

Facts are facts. And the same Sean McBride that was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

[ezzra]

1 hour ago, dexterm said:

I am vehemently opposed to the current right wing government of Israel and the racist supremacist ideology of Zionism. I have never once said anything anti Semitic. Please quote my words where you think I have done so.

 

I have contributed to the discussion on Trump and Brexit...the standard fare on this forum. Others are far more expert than I on those matters. I try to balance the extremist pro Zionist writers such as yourself; otherwise this forum would become a monologue.

 

 

All i can say that Roger waters and his ilks, another israel hater, has nothing on you, 2 peas in the same pod, no, you didn't as much utterd an anti semite comment, but it's all there in the contexts of your words and hidden under neverending diatribe of criticism of a bunch of people who tries very hard to exist in a tiny country surrounded with enemies from within and out,

Show me another country who had to live for many years before the 67 war, under a menacing battalions of long range artillery, tanks and missiles of an enemy country pointing at them from high above the Golan plateau who swore to eliminate and eradicate any sign of you, what would you have done? but of course, how would you now that living far far away in a secured and safe country would you now?...

[Spidey]

1 minute ago, ezzra said:

All i can say that Roger waters and his ilks, another israel hater, has nothing on you, 2 peas in the same pod, no, you didn't as much utterd an anti semite comment, but it's all there in the contexts of your words and hidden under neverending diatribe of criticism of a bunch of people who tries very hard to exist in a tiny country surrounded with enemies from within and out,

Show me another country who had to live for many years before the 67 war, under a menacing battalions of long range artillery, tanks and missiles of an enemy country pointing at them from high above the Golan plateau who swore to eliminate and eradicate any sign of you, what would you have done? but of course, how would you now that living far far away in a secured and safe country would you now?...

I don't think that there were many long range artillery, tanks and missiles of an enemy country pointing at them from high above the Golan plateau for the 1500 years when it was called Palestine.

[1FinickyOne]

6 hours ago, brokenbone said:

why ?

because her cause is our cause, her values are our values, and her fight is our fight,

 

I think they stated it clearly, right? ... it is called being an ally. 

[ezzra]

5 minutes ago, Spidey said:

I don't think that there were many long range artillery, tanks and missiles of an enemy country pointing at them from high above the Golan plateau for the 1500 years when it was called Palestine.

Man, i think you really lost the plot by now talking nonsense.. what 1500 years ago, what called palestine?...

[1FinickyOne]

7 minutes ago, Spidey said:

I don't think that there were many long range artillery, tanks and missiles of an enemy country pointing at them from high above the Golan plateau for the 1500 years when it was called Palestine.

I doubt you would want it tolerated if even for a few days... if it were you living there... 

[Spidey]

1 minute ago, ezzra said:

Man, i think you really lost the plot by now talking nonsense.. what 1500 years ago, what called palestine?...

Palestine. Where do you think that the Christian Crusades went to, Israel?