Congressman proposes to recognize Golan Heights as Israeli territory

CAIRO - 22 May 2018: Republican Congressman, Ron DeSantis, presented a proposal to recognize Syria's Golan Heights as an Israeli territory, following the U.S. controversial move to relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

DeSantis, who is known for his support to Israel, said in an interview published Sunday with the Israeli news website Walla that he had brought the proposal before the Congressional Committee on Foreign Affairs on Thursday.

He attended the ceremony of the U.S. Embassy opening in Jerusalem last Monday.

Israel captured the Golan in 1967 from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and has occupied two-thirds of the strategically-important territory ever since, in a move that has never been recognized by the international community, including the United States.

The Israeli occupation built dozens of illegal settlements in the area since its occupation and used the territory to carry out a number of military operations against Iranian targets in Syria.


US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and US President Donald Trump’s daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump unveil the inauguration plaque during the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem on May 14, 2018 - AFP Photo/Menahem Kahana


Last December, Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. His decision infuriated Arabs, Muslims and Palestinians, who declared that Washington could no longer play the mediator role in the Middle East peace process.

On December 21, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution that calls on the US to withdraw its controversial recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.

On May 14, more than 60 Palestinians were killed and more than 2,700 others were wounded by Israeli gunfire along the fence between the Gaza Strip and the occupied territories on the eve of the 70th anniversary of Nakba Day (Day of Catastrophe).