The new map of Israel, which includes the Golan Heights and a handwritten remark by Trump that reads “nice”, has excited netizens. The artefact, marking the historic recognition of the occupied territory by the US as part of Israel, was recently presented by the country’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Some mocked the Israeli politician, who was delighted with the gift.
— مدشر Mudassar Imam (@muddy_middy) 31 мая 2019 г.
Petty little humans fighting over petty little land. https://t.co/AneCKx3jlS
— Steve Robinson (@stev4niTy) 31 мая 2019 г.
Neato. pic.twitter.com/Pt0sCdJhO5
— Yo Katsu (@Y0katsu) 31 мая 2019 г.
Others hinted that it could be a kind of consolation for Netanyahu, who failed to form a new government and has yet another election campaign looming.
#Israel PM Netanyahu has had his worst day in politics, but to make him feel better Jared Kushner hand delivered new US map showing annexed Golan Heights as part of Israel. Trump wrote “Nice”: pic.twitter.com/T2Sh09FwqF
— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) 30 мая 2019 г.
Jared Kushner hand delivered this map to Netanyahu to make him feel better today which includes the Golan Heights. Trump's comment at the top reads "nice". pic.twitter.com/cIH0VCcmET
— Faisal (@fromadic92) 30 мая 2019 г.
Others used the chance to lambast the US move.
One doesn't even know what is more disturbing about the picture: that #Trump signs a map or that he calls occupied territory "nice". #Israelhttps://t.co/9CBoGvNSfN
— Fabio Kalla (@fabiokalla) 31 мая 2019 г.
he's found a map of israel pic.twitter.com/mHgcOukJJP
— Protein Shaykh (@ProteinShaykh) 31 мая 2019 г.
Netanyahu earlier told reporters in Jerusalem that Senior White House Adviser and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner had given him the updated version of the official State Department map during his visit to Israel.
Bibi with the map signed by Trump. Check out what Trump wrote next to the Golan Heights pic.twitter.com/ik1Lenn8Zm
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) 30 мая 2019 г.
"This map had not been updated since the Six Day War. Well, it has been updated, it just got an update…. That is to say, there are very important developments here…Here is the signature of Trump, and he writes ‘nice’. I say, ‘very nice!’”, Netanyahu noted, referring to the war in 1967, when Israel seized control of the Golan Heights from Syria.
US State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus later confirmed that they had updated the map, but did not reveal whether they had taken other steps, for instance, issued new guidelines regarding the nationality of people who are born in the territory.
Israel seized control of the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed the territory in 1981, although the move was not recognised by the United Nations. In 2018, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution urging Israel to immediately withdraw its forces from the occupied territory.
READ MORE: Israel Has Chosen Place in Golan Heights to Build Village Named After Trump — PM
However, in March, Washington, which had already recognised Jerusalem as the Israeli capital in 2018, also acknowledged the occupied Syrian Golan Heights as Israeli land. Tel Aviv, which considers the Golan Heights its territory, welcomed the move and praised Donald Trump for signing the executive order.
It even vowed to build a village in the Golan Heights and name it after the US president.
