The sign for Israel’s proposed “Trump Heights” settlement was unveiled on Sunday.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled the sign in a ceremony before the entire Israeli cabinet and U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman.
“President Trump is a great friend of our state, a leader who has done things which were not done previously and should have been done by the power of justice and truth,” Netanyahu said in Hebrew at the ceremony.
“Establishing a new community in the Golan Heights named after a friend of Israel, US President @realDonaldTrump. A historic day!” Netanyahu tweeted Sunday afternoon.
Establishing a new community in the Golan Heights named after a friend of Israel, US President @realDonaldTrump. A historic day! 🇮🇱🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/lvG8MJxtxq
— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) June 16, 2019
“A great day on the Golan. PM Netanyahu and I had the honor to dedicate ‘Trump Heights’ — first time Israel has dedicated a village in honor of a sitting president since Harry Truman (1949). Happy Birthday Mr. President!!” Friedman also tweeted on Sunday, referencing Trump’s June 14th birthday.
A great day on the Golan. PM Netanyahu and I had the honor to dedicate “Trump Heights” — first time Israel has dedicated a village in honor of a sitting president since Harry Truman (1949). Happy Birthday Mr. President!! @POTUS pic.twitter.com/fdYWzokFLK
— David M. Friedman (@USAmbIsrael) June 16, 2019
“Thank you PM @Netanyahu and the State of Israel for this great honor!” Trump tweeted in response.
Thank you PM @Netanyahu and the State of Israel for this great honor!🇺🇸🇮🇱 https://t.co/OUcf6s98UX
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 16, 2019
“We are proud that we have the opportunity to establish a new settlement and to give thanks to a great friend,” Netanyahu also said at the ceremony, according to CNN. “We will continue to grow and develop the Golan for all of our citizens — Jews and non-Jews together.”
“President Trump did it [with the Golan], he also did it with Jerusalem, he did it with the transfer of the embassy, he did it with the exit from the Iran nuclear deal, he does it now with the strong stand against the aggression of Iran in the Gulf of Oman, in the Persian Gulf, and in the entire region,” Netanyahu added.
The “Trump Heights” settlement has not yet been officially planned or funded, reports have noted.
“To my dear friends in the international press: A settlement by the name of ‘Trump Heights’ or ‘Ramat Trump’ doesn’t exist. It [may] exist in the future but the Israeli cabinet still hasn’t even decided to do it. For now there’s only a sign. A huge sign,” Israeli journalist Barak Ravid wrote on Twitter.
To my dear friends in the international press: A settlement by the name of “Trump Heights” or “Ramat Trump” doesn’t exist. It my exist in the future but the Israeli cabinet still hasn’t even decided to do it. For now there’s only a sign. A huge sign. Like Kim Jong Un’s envelopes
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) June 16, 2019
Golan Heights was formerly a part of Syria, and it was seized by Israel during the 1967 Arab War. Israel has since maintained control over the 690-square-mile region and the territory has been recognized internationally as Israel’s.
Syria attempted to reclaim the region five years later during the 1973 Middle East War, but Israel repelled the attack.
In April, Netanyahu announced the plan to name the Golan Heights settlement after Trump, just a month after Trump formally recognized Israel’s sovereignty over Golan Heights.
However, Israeli’s claim over Golan Heights is considered an illegal occupation by some. The U.N. Security Council considers Israel’s claim to be “null and void and without legal effect.”
