PM attends the unveiling ceremony for a new town named after President Trump; Netanyahu: This is an act of settlement and of Zionism of the first order; Trump: Thank you Mr. Prime Minister, a great honor!
Israel unveiled a new town named after President Trump in the Golan Heights on Sunday. The community was named “Trump Heights” in honor of the president’s recognition of the Golan Heights as sovereign, Israeli territory. The event was attended by Israeli and American officials, including US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman. Prime Minister Netanyahu gave a speech where he spoke on Israel’s culture of building settlements in the Land of Israel and the honor and significance it holds.
Speaking on Sunday he stated, “This is an historic day for us. We are going to… establish a new community on the Golan Heights, something which has not been done for many years. This is an act of settlement and of Zionism of the first order. The second thing is to honor our… very great friend of the State of Israel, President Donald Trump, who recently recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. He is the first international leader to have done so. He tore the mask off this hypocrisy, which does not recognize what is self-evident.”
Quoting Israel’s sixth prime minister and founder of Netanyahu’s political party, the Likud, Netanyahu stated, “Menachem Begin said when he had passed the Golan Heights Law: sometimes even the self-evident needs to be stated, which President Trump has also done in this case, as well as in moving the embassy to Jerusalem, in leaving the nuclear agreement with Iran, and is doing at the moment in standing steadfast against Iranian aggression in the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the region in general. We are proud that we have this opportunity to establish the community and also honor a great friend.” The Likud annexed the Golan Heights under Begin in 1981 after it captured the region during the 1967 Six-Day War.
He assured the attendees that Israel “will continue to build and develop the Golan for all its residents, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, and for the state as a whole.”
President Trump took to Twitter to thank the Prime Minister, stating “Thank you Mr. Prime Minister, a great honor!”
In March of this year, President Trump signed an executive order officially recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights in Washington DC alongside Prime Minister Netanyahu. Addressing Israel’s security, anti-Semitism and the Jewish, historical connection to the Golan Heights, President Trump stated at the time “At this moment the American embassy stands proudly in Jerusalem, the capital of the Jewish people… They [Israel] wanted the embassy for many, many years… we got it done.” He referred to Israel as an “an inspiration, a trusted ally and a cherished friend,” reassuring that the “United States will always stand by its side.” On the threats posed by Iran, Hezbollah and Syria, he stated, “Today, aggressive action by Iran and terrorist groups in southern Syria, including Hezbollah, continue to make the Golan Heights a potential launching ground for attacks on Israel,” reiterating his commitment to Israel’s “ability to defend itself and to have strong, powerful national security, which they are entitled to have.”
President Trump was also honored for his recognition and support of Israel’s sovereignty and the “eternal capital of Jerusalem”. Minister of Transport Yisrael Katz announced in 2017 that a train station on Israel’s new Jerusalem rail would be named after the president following his courageous decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move its embassy.
