‘Trump Heights’ symbol of US shift on Mideast policy
GOLAN HEIGHTS: On a dusty plain in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, a golden-lettered sign with Israeli and American flags stands before a rusty wire fence as the gateway to “Trump Heights”. But this is no luxury hotel or golf course set up by the property developer turned president. Instead, it is an Israeli settlement, inaugurated in June 2019 by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a celebration to mark US President Donald Trump’s recognition of the Golan as Israeli territory. For residents, it is the most visible legacy Trump has had here.
“There is indeed a big change,” said Haim Rokach, head of the Golan regional council, his eyes sparkling at the mention of the US president’s name. “Since Trump’s declaration and the decision to build the place, we see a lot of interest from investors.” The Golan Heights, a strategic military zone, was seized by Israel from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967. Trump’s recognition of Golan was the latest in a string of steps away from global consensus, including recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and giving Netanyahu the green light to build settlements deemed illegal under international law.
Along with Trump’s backing for normalization deals between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain-lamented by Palestinians as a “stab in the back”-Trump has changed the dynamics of the dispute between the Jewish state and the Palestinians. As he battles to stay in the White House for a second term, Trump’s strongly pro-Israel stance has further endeared him to evangelical Christians, a powerful voting bloc. The most ardent evangelical faithful believe the state of Israel was established in line with biblical prophecy and as a prerequisite for the second coming of Christ.
Settlement expansion
While the Trump Heights sign is new, the settlement is not. It was founded in 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union when hundreds of thousands of Jewish people emigrated to Israel. One group of around 15 families carved out a Jewish settlement here, but the associated farming life is tough. Many struggled to make ends meet, and just five families of Israeli settlers remain, many of them elderly.
Naming the settlement after Trump has given Israeli authorities an opportunity to revive the community, and 20 Jewish families are due to move to the remote spot by the end of November. Diggers were recently leveling the land ready for their homes, with the aim of 20 families arriving each year for the next decade, said Shai Toni Yeheskel, from the local Golan council. “For the first time in almost 30 years they have hope,” Yeheskel said. “It’s going to become one of the centers of the Golan.” Living in run-down houses, the ageing residents have steered clear of outsiders who have visited the settlement since it was renamed. But a group of teenagers live in the community, where they are put through a sixmonth program ahead of national service. —AFP