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On June 16th, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the establishment of “Trump Heights,” the new Golan Heights community named after US President Donald Trump.
Establishing a new community in the Golan Heights named after a friend of Israel, US President @realDonaldTrump. A historic day! ???? pic.twitter.com/lvG8MJxtxq
— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) June 16, 2019
During a government meeting, Netanyahu said that this is a historic day.
“We’re going to establish a new community, something that hasn’t happened in many years, and in honor of President Donald Trump.”
Earlier today, @netanyahu and @USAmbIsrael held a ceremony for the inauguration of 'Trump Heights' — a town in #Israel's Golan Heights that has been named in honor of the US President.
Watch more here: https://t.co/Enqf9X3Uvf pic.twitter.com/ldBLLdqmHB
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) June 16, 2019
Naturally, no event can take place in Israel or elsewhere where Netanyahu takes part without a mention of Iran’s malign influence in the Middle East.
“Everyone knows what’s been happening over the past decade on the other side of this border. If it weren’t for us, this place would be populated with fanatic Iranian militias – we will never let that happen. We will continue to act against Iran and its terrorist extension Hezbollah’s attempts to solidify their presence on the Syrian side of the border.”
Haaretz request further comment from the Prime Minister’s office regarding Trump Heights and received the following response:
“The process of establising any new community in Israel requires approval through two government decisions. The first approves the initiative and the second the management procedure, according to the attorney general’s directives.
Therefore, the government did approve the initiative [Sunday] to establish the new community, and the directive of the Housing and Construction Ministry and the Finance Ministry to start complementary administrative work on the subject,” in continuation of administrative work on the subject that was already carried out by a number of government organizations.
Trump was, of course, flattered and expressed his appreciation over Twitter.
Thank you PM @Netanyahu and the State of Israel for this great honor!???? https://t.co/OUcf6s98UX
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 16, 2019
Thank you Mr. Prime Minister, a great honor! https://t.co/ozLz84g3i0
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 17, 2019
The announcement of the new establishment is simply a formality, since not even the first dig of the future Israeli structure in the Golan Heights has been initiated.
As Haaretz reported:
“No new community named for U.S. President Donald Trump was actually established on Sunday in the Golan Heights. As even the founder of the Knesset caucus for the Golan, Kahol Lavan MK Zvi Hauser, observed: “Anyone who reads the fine print of the ‘historic’ decision understands that this is a conceptual decision. There is no funding. There is no planning. There is no location and there is really no committed decision. That’s what the ‘Israbluff’” – to borrow a term from Israeli comedy, avoiding a problem with a fictional solution – “of establishing of a new community in the Golan Heights looks like. Salah Shabati at his best,” he added, referring to the 1964 Israeli satire film.
Indeed, the proposal put before the cabinet to found the new community includes no real steps toward its establishment. It’s mainly “administrative work,” which in Israeli speak means barely a single meeting around a plate of carbs. Numerous other expressions from the very creative “Israbluff” lexicon appear there in full force: “Formulating recommendations,” “examining a variety of aspects,” “submitting opinions,” “the government notes,” and so on and so forth.”
Around the end of the cited document of the decision to announce the forming of the new settlement is where the truth lies:
“When the final government decision is made on the establishment of the community, and insofar as the location of the new town will be in the area of the community of Kela…” Thus, Trump Heights is nothing more than an imaginary town that is likely to remain as such.
This is more than likely a formal sign of appreciation for two things:
1. The Trump administration’s recognition of Golan Heights as Israeli territory and not occupied Syrian land. The rest of the world still considers it occupied by Israel.
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 21, 2019
2. Trump’s endless support of Benjamin Netanyahu.
In May, Trump did an unprecedented move of meddling in the internal policies of Israel, and directly backing Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that he hoped Netanyahu could form a government, so that the POTUS could continue improving relations between the countries.
Hoping things will work out with Israel's coalition formation and Bibi and I can continue to make the alliance between America and Israel stronger than ever. A lot more to do!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2019
Regardless, Netanyahu failed in forming a government and snap elections will take place in September 2019.
Trump expressed his discontent of the situation. He said that his administration is “not happy” about the turn of events.
“Israel is all messed up with their election. I mean, that came out of the blue three days ago. So that’s all messed up. They ought to get their act together,” he said.
“Bibi got elected. Now, all of a sudden, they’re going to have to go through the process again until September? That’s ridiculous. So we’re not happy about that,” he said, using Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s nickname.
He added that the new elections could harm the chances of success for his administration’s Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, which will be rolled out in steps.
It will start out with an economic “workshop” to encourage capital investment in the West Bank, Gaza, and countries in the region, for finance ministers and global and regional business leaders, in Manama, Bahrain, on June 25 and 26.
Hours after Netanyahu’s failure to form a government Trump called the Israeli PM “a great guy” and had the following to say regarding the upcoming elections on September 17th: “That is too bad. Because they don’t need this. I mean they’ve got enough turmoil over there, it’s a tough place.”
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