US to Redraw Maps to Show Golan Heights as Israeli Territory

[DonViejo]

Source: Voice of America


March 27, 2019 8:00 PM
UPDATE March 27, 2019 9:18 PM
Michael Lipin
Nike Ching

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration says it will update U.S. government maps to reflect President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

In a Wednesday email responding to questions from VOA Persian, a State Department spokesperson said the map changes would be "consistent" with a March 25 proclamation signed by Trump, saying the U.S. "recognizes that the Golan Heights are part of the State of Israel."

In a separate interview with VOA later Wednesday, U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook said the State Department would "redraw" its official maps and release them "as soon as they are ready." The map changes will reflect facts on the ground and a "need for Israel to have secure and defensible borders," Hook added.

Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and annexed it in 1981 in a move no other nation recognized until the U.S. officially changed its policy this week. Syria has long demanded the return of the disputed territory, which the rest of the international community considers to be Israeli-occupied.

Read more: https://www.voanews.com/a/us-to-redraw-maps-to-show-golan-heights-as-israeli-territory/4851059.html

[watoos]

1. I'm just asking this question to be safe from alerts,

If people disagree with this decision are they going to be labeled anti-Israel?

[atreides1]

3. It's likely

[machoneman]

4. Hey, the bigger issue here is it could lead to war, a war Trump's minions seem to want!

Yikes!

[riversedge]

9. I do not know that answer but I actually thought this was an ONION story when I saw the headline.

[ck4829]

24. Scary that this is becoming a thing

[ripcord]

2. I honestly don't understand why some people think Syria should get the Golan back

Several times Syria joined other Arab nations in an attempt to annihilate Israel and used the Golan for artillery and rocket attacks. Holding the Golan is a national security issue pure and simple, we all know that after Israel gave Gaza back to the Palestinians it is now used to launch rocket attacks, they would have to be incredibly stupid to make the same mistake again.

[machoneman]

5. So, since Trump couldn't find the Heights with a clearly marked map, who is pushing...

this idea? He could care less about any Jews, yet someone in his administration is advising him to make all these alleged pro-Israel moves.

Can't be just Kushner. Who else?

[not fooled]

8. Fundies?

That's my guess.

[karynnj]

11. Netanyahu

Last edited Thu Mar 28, 2019, 10:36 AM - Edit history (1)

Given Syria's current state, there is no international call to return the Golan Heights to Syria. Therefore, nothing really changes on the ground. Haartez (a left leaning Israeli which has an English language edition) noted that before the announcement the US had stopped referring to it as Israeli occupied Golan Heights to Israeli controlled Golan Heights and without that being pointed out, I totally missed this subtle difference.

At this point, the EU and the Arab states have not followed Trump's example.

As noted in another Haaretz article is that like moving the embassy, this was something given to Israel asking nothing in return. This eliminations some of the "chips" that could have been used in getting everyone to agree to any Israeli/Palestinian peace deal. As with the growth of settlements and other Netanyahu actions are having the impact of completely closely out any possibility of a two state solution. ( At this point, the vast majority of American Jews adamantly favor a two state solution -- while Israel has moved to the right and support for that has fallen .. "at least now" (and the settlements continue to take more land). )

Netanyahu is currently running with a more right wing coalition than he currently has, but in spite of that and in spite of the many corruption cases against him, he STILL may be the one seen as having the best chance to form a government - so he might be asked to do so by the Israeli President. (This may happen even if the new Gantz party gets more votes - as happened in 2009 when Tzipi Livni's party got one more seat than Netanyahu's party. )

I greatly fear that Netanyahu, supported by Trump, might take advantage of the next year and a half to make unilateral decisions that create a "greater Israel" annexing more land -- but no necessarily giving full rights as citizens to the Palestinians currently on that land. Obviously, that will be condemned by the UN, but it is hard to see that stopping it from happening. (Trump seems to be following Netanyahu's plan of allying with the Sunni nations against Iran -- betting that this is more important to them than the Palestinians' plight.)

[pazzyanne]

12. Possibly the shadow president, Stephen Miller?

[ck4829]

25. Who else indeed?

[JI7]

28. xtian fundies

[atreides1]

6. Perhaps it's not that plain and simple!

https://www.timesofisrael.com/major-oil-reserve-said-found-on-golan/


https://www.globalresearch.ca/drilling-for-oil-in-the-israeli-occupied-region-of-syrias-golan-heights-a-violation-of-international-law/5532455

Granted they're older articles but that doesn't mean that they aren't relevant.

Genie Energy's Strategic advisory board is composed of: Dick Cheney (former vice president of the United States), Rupert Murdoch (media mogul and chairman of News Corp), James Woolsey (former CIA director), Larry Summers (former head of the US Treasury), Bill Richardson (former Governor of New Mexico, ex-ambassador to the United Nations and United States Energy Secretary), Michael Steinhardt, Jacob Rothschild, and Mary Landrieu, former United States Senator from Louisiana.

[Vogon_Glory]

19. If All the Jews in Israel disappeared at the snap of

Last edited Thu Mar 28, 2019, 02:32 PM - Edit history (1)

God’s fingers and I were the head of the Palestinian State that replaced it, I’m not sure I’d be happy with the Syrian state regaining control of the Golan Heights either.

[sfwriter]

26. If I were you I'd be worried about God's fingers.

[Cold War Spook]

27. I will agree that Israel should keep the Golan Heights,

as soon as she turns over to the American people all audio, video and print documents why she murdered 34 US Sailors and Marines aboard the USS Liberty. This is because the attack on the USS Liberty is connected to their attack on the Golan Heights.

[Chipper Chat]

7. Mexican maps to be redrawn to include Texas as part on Mexico.

Let's see how Trump reacts.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

13. Texas, and then some more.

All the lands from the Mexican Cession. Should we give it back?

[Chipper Chat]

18. I'm sure Mexico would welcome California back.

Trump would say "Good riddance"

[EX500rider]

21. Sort of the opposite of that.

Mexico lost territory to the US and it has show as US on maps ever since.
Syria lost territory to Israel and it has not been labeled as part of Israel ever since.
And since Syria lost the territory in a attempt to invade and destroy Israel I have zero sympathy for Syria.

[BuddhaGirl]

10. Shameful!

[Odoreida]

14. You mean facing reality for the first time since 1981? Or would that be 1973? n/t

[ucrdem]

15. So is this what the Syrian war was all about?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

16. Does Crimea follow?

Asking for an adversary.

[Scurrilous]

17. LOL

[ck4829]

22. Good question

[BlueIdaho]

20. Goebbels would be so proud.

The big lie now includes American maps.

[ck4829]

23. Something Russia is itching for