Trumplomacy on Golan Heights: What it all means
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo became the first high-ranking US official to visit the Western Wall alongside an Israeli prime minister
But they delayed their appearance long enough for us to wonder whether Mr Trump's Twitter announcement had also caught them off guard. If so, it was a welcome surprise for Mr Netanyahu:"I'm so excited," were his first words to us. His administration is convinced Iran is using Syria as a base to target Israel, and the Golan Heights are the front line.
So it's widely believed by observers and commentators both here and in Washington that the president made the announcement now to give Mr Netanyahu a boost in hotly-contested elections. On the other hand, there was no open controversy about Israel's control of the Golan Heights. Pushing the issue above the radar might inflame the low-grade conflict with Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah, stoking regional tensions. And Russia is unhappy, very unhappy.The occupied West Bank is different from the Golan Heights. It was also captured by Israel in the 1967 war, from Jordan.
This fear is not without grounds. Members of the right wing coalition headed by Prime Minister Netanyahu have been pushing for annexation. In Mr Netanyahu's own Likud party, 28 out of the 29 lawmakers running for re-election are on record as supporting this approach.
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