Sudden policy change

President Trump’s move prompted sharp response from Syria, which once owned the Golan Heights and from other countries in the region. The Golan Height has belonged to Syria. Israel captured the Golan heights during the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it in 1981 in a move not recognized internationally. A UN Security Council resolution adopted unanimously by the 15-member body in 1981 declared that Israel’s “decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights is null and void and without international legal effect,” and demanded that Israel rescind its decision. The US supported that resolution.

Syria described Trump’s decision as a blatant attack on a sovereign country and said it will lead to US isolation. Other countries said Trump’s decision will increase tension in the Middle East and emphasized the need to respect international resolutions and the UN Charter. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the status of the Golan Heights has not changed.

Dangerous consequences

Trump’s recent actions - recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights have undermined international law, security, and stability in the Middle East. According to some observers, this was not a spontaneous decision but the next step in the US policy on Israel and the Middle East.

The civil war in Syria is ending. Syria has set up a strong alliance with Russia emerging as the new leader in the Middle East while the US role in the region has weakened. Trump’s move has given an election boost to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but it has deepened disputes between Arabs in the region.