Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman attend a ceremony to unveil a sign for a new community named after President Donald Trump, in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. (Reuters/Ammar Awad)

New Settlement in Israel Named After Donald Trump

Israel has a unique way to thank the country’s greatest best friend, Donald Trump, by naming a new settlement on Golan after the incumbent US president—Ramat Trump or Trump Heights in English. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu inaugurated the new settlement on Sunday (6/16) in a ceremony attended by the US Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman.

The tribute comes after President Trump recognized the annexed Golan Height as a part of Israel sovereignty in late March that it seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War. It was not the first time Trump showed his controversial support to the country that has a long-lasting dispute with Palestine. Earlier in December 2017, Trump announced the United States recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and later ordered to relocate the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May 2018, which had infuriated the global community and condemned by the UN General Assembly.

In his speech, Netanyahu stated that Golan will always remain as Israeli’s and Trump is a very great friend of Israel for taking a decision which never been taken before. While the US ambassador considered the naming as an ‘extraordinary gesture’.

On his Twitter, Trump tweeted to thank the Israel Prime Minister and said that was a great honor to have his name on the new community.
Netanyahu promised to drive the development on Golan Heights by investing more in building home and road, as well as education and tourism facilities. However, the construction is likely to lag given Netanyahu’s political stumbles that failed to form a coalition after an inconclusive national election held in April.

According to Reuters, the center-left rivals ridiculed Sunday’s ceremony and an ex-Netanyahu cabinet secretary who is now with the opposition party also called the resolution ‘dummy’.

Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/israel-pm-inaugurates-golan-settlement-honouring-trump-11632348