Golan Heights: where is Trump taking things?
US President Trump has signed a decree recognising the Syrian Golan Heights as Israeli territory. The ceremony took place during a visit by Netanyahu in Washington. Israel occupied the land during the Six-Day War in 1967 and annexed it in 1981. Israeli sovereignty over the territory is not recognised internationally. Journalists take different views of the repercussions of Trump's initiative.
US has forfeited its role as mediator
By recognising Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights Trump has caused damage at several levels, El País laments:
“This represents an unacceptable violation of the declarations of the United Nations on the Arab-Israeli conflict, and ruins any chances of Washington playing a role in mediating a peace in Syria. ... Trump's decision is therefore highly prejudicial for the peace process and US foreign policy. ... In addition, it comes in the middle of the election campaign in Israel and constitutes a clear show of support for the conservative prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. ... Trump has therefore interfered directly in another country's electoral process.”
Just about supporting Netanyahu in the election
For Ria Novosti Trump's step isn't all that significant:
“As little as twenty or even fifteen years ago Washington's decision on this issue could well have led the rest of the world - including the UN - to change its official position. Today, however, it's nothing but one country's violation of international law - which all other countries can simply ignore, and which won't have any serious consequences. Taking stock of the situation the only truly interesting question is whether the US's decision will significantly influence the results of Prime Minister Netanyahu and his party in the Israeli parliamentary elections in two week's time. That is mainly what all this was about.”
No one helps the weak
The recognition of the Golan Heights as an Israeli territory could have negative repercussions for Ukraine, says Ihor Semivolos in Ukrayinska Pravda:
“At the moment the feeling is growing stronger that we are on the verge of a paradigm change at the end of which the winner will be the side that refuses to be turned into an object. What lessons can Ukraine learn from this approach in view of the situation in Crimea, which was annexed by a permanent member of the UN Security Council? ... If we are no longer a subject, neither international law nor the international institutions will help us. The weak are ignored and then faced with a fait accompli. And that means that if we continue to be careless when it comes to security we will lose everything: freedom, justice and territory.”