SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
An Israeli soldier in the Golan Heights, 2006. (Photo: David Poe, Flickr)
No, Critics Declare in Response to Trump, Now Is Time to Give Occupied Golan Heights Back to Syria
"I still remember some people telling me during the last election that Trump would be tougher on Israel than Clinton. Lol."
Mar 21, 2019
Critics on Thursday swiftly condemned an announcement by President Donald Trump that he believes the U.S. should recognize Israel's claim over the Golan Heights, the Syrian territory Israel has illegally occupied for over half a century.
"After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel's Sovereignty over the Golan Heights," the president said on Twitter, "which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!"
The announcement was met with praise by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
If implemented as official U.S. policy, Trump's plan could have long lasting effects on the Middle East.
The territory was captured by Israel from Syria during the Six Day War in 1967 and officially annexed by Israel in 1981. While the annexation is effectively recognized as illegal under international law, Israel has never seriously entertained giving the territory back to Syria.
The right thing to do, said women led peace group CODEPINK, would be for Israel to give the land back to Syria.
"This is foolish, counter-productive and contrary to decades-old [international] law barring the acquisition of territory through force," said Jamil Dakwar, the director of the ACLU Human Rights Program.
The announcement was flatly rejected by the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights.
Trump's decision was met with wry cynicism from The Intercept's Mehdi Hasan.
"I still remember some people telling me during the last election that Trump would be tougher on Israel than Clinton," Hasan tweeted. "Lol."
The ramifications of the decision may reach beyond the Middle East, as international affairs writer Derek Davidson observed.
"I'm guessing it's not a big concern of Trump's but if the US is going to recognize Israel's annexation of the Golan then it really has no basis on which to continue rejecting Russia's annexation of Crimea," Davidson said. "Just one of the many side effects of this decision."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Critics on Thursday swiftly condemned an announcement by President Donald Trump that he believes the U.S. should recognize Israel's claim over the Golan Heights, the Syrian territory Israel has illegally occupied for over half a century.
"After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel's Sovereignty over the Golan Heights," the president said on Twitter, "which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!"
The announcement was met with praise by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
If implemented as official U.S. policy, Trump's plan could have long lasting effects on the Middle East.
The territory was captured by Israel from Syria during the Six Day War in 1967 and officially annexed by Israel in 1981. While the annexation is effectively recognized as illegal under international law, Israel has never seriously entertained giving the territory back to Syria.
The right thing to do, said women led peace group CODEPINK, would be for Israel to give the land back to Syria.
"This is foolish, counter-productive and contrary to decades-old [international] law barring the acquisition of territory through force," said Jamil Dakwar, the director of the ACLU Human Rights Program.
The announcement was flatly rejected by the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights.
Trump's decision was met with wry cynicism from The Intercept's Mehdi Hasan.
"I still remember some people telling me during the last election that Trump would be tougher on Israel than Clinton," Hasan tweeted. "Lol."
The ramifications of the decision may reach beyond the Middle East, as international affairs writer Derek Davidson observed.
"I'm guessing it's not a big concern of Trump's but if the US is going to recognize Israel's annexation of the Golan then it really has no basis on which to continue rejecting Russia's annexation of Crimea," Davidson said. "Just one of the many side effects of this decision."
Critics on Thursday swiftly condemned an announcement by President Donald Trump that he believes the U.S. should recognize Israel's claim over the Golan Heights, the Syrian territory Israel has illegally occupied for over half a century.
"After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel's Sovereignty over the Golan Heights," the president said on Twitter, "which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!"
The announcement was met with praise by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
If implemented as official U.S. policy, Trump's plan could have long lasting effects on the Middle East.
The territory was captured by Israel from Syria during the Six Day War in 1967 and officially annexed by Israel in 1981. While the annexation is effectively recognized as illegal under international law, Israel has never seriously entertained giving the territory back to Syria.
The right thing to do, said women led peace group CODEPINK, would be for Israel to give the land back to Syria.
"This is foolish, counter-productive and contrary to decades-old [international] law barring the acquisition of territory through force," said Jamil Dakwar, the director of the ACLU Human Rights Program.
The announcement was flatly rejected by the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights.
Trump's decision was met with wry cynicism from The Intercept's Mehdi Hasan.
"I still remember some people telling me during the last election that Trump would be tougher on Israel than Clinton," Hasan tweeted. "Lol."
The ramifications of the decision may reach beyond the Middle East, as international affairs writer Derek Davidson observed.
"I'm guessing it's not a big concern of Trump's but if the US is going to recognize Israel's annexation of the Golan then it really has no basis on which to continue rejecting Russia's annexation of Crimea," Davidson said. "Just one of the many side effects of this decision."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy