TEL AVIV, June 14. /TASS/: Israel is beginning the implementation of "practical steps" on setting up a community in honor of US President Donald Trump on the Golan Heights, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the government's weekly meeting on Sunday.
"Today, we will begin practical steps in establishing the community of Ramat Trump on the Golan Heights, Israel’s sovereignty over which was recognized by President Trump," Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office.
In May 2019, Netanyahu announced that a community would be created on the Golan Heights in honor of the US president. On June 16 that year a ceremony was held to open the plate of the new community named Ramat-Trump.
On March 25, 2019 US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation recognizing Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights during talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israel took control over the Golan Heights that had belonged to Syria from 1944 after the Six-Day War in 1967. In 1981, Israel’s Knesset (parliament) passed a law on the Golan Heights unilaterally proclaiming Israel’s sovereignty over this territory. United Nations Security Council Resolution 497 of December 17, 1981 ruled that the annexation was null and void, having no international legal effect. Today, the Golan Heights are divided into three parts, namely, a territory controlled by the Syrian authorities, areas occupied by Israel and an area of deployment of UN forces.
Netanyahu vowed to ask the cabinet to approve the issue on creating the new community in gratitude for Trump back on April 23, 2019, but he failed to set up the government after the April 9, 2019 election following which two rounds of re-election were held on September 17, 2019 and on March 2, 2020.
After the second re-election Netanyahu managed to set up the new government only in May 2020 and before he led a transitional cabinet, which had not been vested with the powers of approving new communities, according to Haaretz newspaper.
