The incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden will be forced to deal with the implications of outgoing President Donald Trump’s foreign policy. In more than a few cases, Biden may wish to reverse decisions made by his predecessor, but he will be hard-pressed to do so.
When it comes to Israel, the decisions that stick out most include Trump’s decisions to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the settlements in the West Bank and the Golan Heights, on Israel’s northern border with Syria. Trump’s decision to recognize Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights sparked renewed Israeli interest in the region. As a symbolic reward for his decision, the government decided to establish a new settlement, Ramat Trump (Trump Heights), named after the outgoing president. The first settlers will be moving in next month. They will be housed in recreational vehicles and other temporary structures until their permanent homes are completed.
Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War. In 1981, Menachem Begin’s government formally annexed the territory. This unilateral move was not recognized by any country until Trump came along. In March 2019, his administration changed long-standing American policy by recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the region. A proclamation signed by Trump declared, “The State of Israel took control of the Golan Heights in 1967 to safeguard its security from external threats. Today, aggressive acts by Iran and terrorist groups, including Hezbollah, in southern Syria, continue to make the Golan Heights a potential launching ground for attacks on Israel. Any possible future peace agreement in the region must account for Israel’s need to protect itself from Syria and other regional threats. Based on these unique circumstances, it is therefore appropriate to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.”
Three months later, the Cabinet convened for a special session in the Golan Heights and approved the establishment of a new settlement named for the US president. At that meeting, a huge sign decorated with Israeli and American flags was unveiled at the entrance to the new settlement. Written on it in gold letters was the name Ramat Trump.
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