Israel to name Golan town after Trump

Israel to name Golan town after Trump

GOLAN HEIGHTS, April 23, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and his wife Sarah Netanyahu are seen on a chairlift at the Hermon resort on the Golan Heights, on April 23, 2019. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that he will name a new community in the Golan Heights after U.S. President Donald Trump, who recognized Israel

Jerusalem, April 24 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he intends to name a new settlement in the Golan Heights after US President Donald Trump to honour his recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the strategic plateau.

Netanyahu, who is on a trip to the region with his family for the week-long Jewish Passover holiday, said on Tuesday that there was a "need to express our appreciation" to the US President, the BBC reported.

"All Israelis were deeply moved when President Trump made his historic decision to recognise Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

"I intend to bring to the government a resolution calling for a new community on the Golan Heights named after President Donald J. Trump," Netanyahu, who has secured a fifth term in office in the recent Israeli elections, said in a video message.

For decades, Washington did not recognise Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights, but Trump announced his plan to overturn the US policy on March 21.

Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and annexed the territory in 1981. The move has not been recognised internationally.

--IANS

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