"After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel's Sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!"
With these word posted to his official Twitter page on Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump continued to make history.
As a reminder, in 2015 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that only the president has the authority to determine American recognition of other countries' sovereignty rights.
The U.S. will be the first country to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, which the rest of the international community regards as disputed territory occupied by Israel whose status should be determined by negotiations between Israel and Syria. Attempts to bring Israel and Syria to the table have failed. It was not immediately clear how a U.N. peacekeeping force on the Golan might be affected by the U.S. move. That force's mandate expires at the end of June.
There had been signals a decision was coming. Last week, in its annual human rights report, the State Department dropped the phrase "Israeli-occupied" from the Golan Heights section, instead calling it "Israeli-controlled."
Israeli leaders were quick to welcome the president's historic decision.
Over the phone, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Trump, "You made history."
Netanyahu also tweeted: "At a time when Iran seeks to use Syria as a platform to destroy Israel, President Trump boldly recognizes Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights." He added: "Thank you President Trump!"
At a press conference Thursday with the visiting U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Netanyahu said: "The message that President Trump has given the world is that America stands by Israel."
The belief in Israel is that the administration will make the decision official next week, during Netanyahu's scheduled visit to the U.S. to attend the upcoming American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington, where he will also meet with Trump on Monday afternoon and Tuesday evening for an official state dinner.
Zvika Hauser, chairman of the Coalition for the Israeli Golan and a Knesset candidate for the Blue and White party, thanked Trump and Netanyahu, his party's main rival. "Amid the genocide in Syria, the U.S. president has chosen to stand for historical truth and justice. Trump and Netanyahu deserve thanks. On this day, politics are dwarfed by [the making] of history," he said.
Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon also thanked Trump.
"We are at the beginning of a historic moment for the State of Israel. President Trump once again proves the strength of the alliance between the U.S. and Israel," he said. "The time has come for the world to recognize that the Golan Heights is an inseparable part of the State of Israel."
Pence: 'America stands with Israel'
Following Trump's announcement, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Twitter: "America stands with Israel!"
Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Jason Greenblatt, tweeted: "Another bold, courageous, and historic decision by [the president] who understands Israel and its security needs. Thank you President Trump for your tremendous leadership!
Senator Lindsey Graham, who recently visited the Golan Heights, tweeted, "President Trump's decision to recognize the Golan as part of Israel is strategically wise and overall awesome. Now I, along with Senator @tedcruz, will try to get Congress to follow your lead."
Cruz himself said, "I applaud [Trump] for taking the long overdue step of recognizing Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights."
AIPAC also issue a statement, saying: "Given current political and security circumstances in Syria, we have said it was inconceivable to imagine Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights. [Trump's] statement marks a dramatic change in American policy, and we appreciate his leadership on this issue."
However, the left-wing J Street lobby condemned Trump's decision.
While the organization acknowledged that the Golan Heights is a strategic asset for Israel, "premature U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan is a needlessly provocative move that violates international law and does not enhance Israeli security," said J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami.
He added: "It's clear that this cynical move by Trump is not about the long-term interests of the U.S. or Israel, but rather about handing yet another political gift to Prime Minister Netanyahu in the hopes of boosting his chances for re-election next month."
Russia, meanwhile, said Thursday that it will never follow in Trump's footsteps.
"Russia will never recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Trump is damaging to the international community and to the Arab world," said Oleg Morozov, member of the Federation Council's Foreign Affairs Committee.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Friday that a change in the status of the Golan Heights would be a direct violation of United Nations decisions.
