U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he had signed a decision granting Israel “sovereign rights” over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, speaking during a ceremony at the White House marking the Jewish Festival of Lights (Hanukkah).
In his remarks, Trump said: “I signed the granting of the Golan Heights plateau to Israel. They had been working on it for seventy years without success, but I did it swiftly. Then I discovered its value amounts to trillions of dollars, at which point I said perhaps I should have asked them for something in return.”
He suggested that the move had exceeded even the expectations of Israel’s staunchest supporters, noting that the late Sheldon Adelson, one of Israel’s most prominent donors, had never requested recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, considering it an excessive demand.
Trump: Committed to Supporting the Jewish People
In the same context, Trump reaffirmed what he described as his “enduring” commitment to Israel and the Jewish people, stating: “As President of the United States, I shall remain a supporter of American Jews and a friend and champion of the Jewish people.”
He went on to list what he framed as major achievements in support of Israel, including recognising Jerusalem as its capital, withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear agreement, brokering the Abraham Accords, and continuing U.S. military support for Tel Aviv.
Trump also referred to a recent shooting incident in Australia, expressing solidarity with the victims and stressing, in his words, “the necessity for all nations to unite against the forces of evil embodied in radical Islamic terrorism.”
Why Does Trump Consider the Golan of “Immense Value”?
Trump’s remarks regarding the “immense value” of the occupied Syrian Golan reflect an economic and strategic vision he has repeatedly advanced since recognising Israeli sovereignty over the region in 2019. He has consistently argued that the Golan is “worth billions,” not only politically, but also because of its natural resources and security significance.
According to specialised studies and reports, the Golan Heights holds considerable strategic value, particularly in terms of water resources. It supplies roughly one-third of Israel’s fresh water through tributaries of the Jordan River and Lake Tiberias, reducing Israel’s reliance on costly alternatives such as seawater desalination—expenses estimated to reach billions of dollars over the long term.
The region also offers substantial potential for renewable energy, especially wind power. Several projects have been established to generate electricity yielding hundreds of millions of dollars, forming long-term strategic assets within Israel’s energy sector.
As for oil resources, while estimates have circulated regarding “billions of barrels” of shale oil in the southern Golan, this potential remains commercially unproven due to high extraction costs and environmental constraints. Nonetheless, Israeli control preserves the area as a possible “future strategic asset.”
Equally significant is the security dimension. Control of the Golan provides Israel with strategic depth, shielding vital water sources and population centres in the Galilee. Security assessments suggest this advantage translates into billions of dollars in avoided defence expenditures and potential wartime losses.
Security Council: The Golan Is Occupied Syrian Territory
Despite Trump’s authority under the U.S. Constitution to recognise foreign sovereignty, his decision to recognise Israeli sovereignty over the Syrian Golan has been widely rejected internationally, including by the United Nations Security Council.
Resolution 497 of 1981 affirms that the Golan is occupied Syrian territory and declares any attempt to annex it “null and void and without international legal effect.”
Nevertheless, Trump’s renewed statements take on added significance amid developments following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime and Syria’s liberation on 8 December 2024, alongside escalating Israeli activity in southern Syria.
Occupation Expands Its Incursions in Southern Syria
Israel has taken advantage of the security vacuum in Syria, expanding its military presence in the buffer zone and asserting control over strategic locations in the countryside of Quneitra and Daraa, extending as far as Mount Hermon. These moves have reinforced de facto Israeli control over the Golan Heights.
The convergence of these American statements and Israeli military actions has heightened Syrian concerns that a new, entrenched occupation reality is taking shape in southern Syria, amid regional and international political arrangements whose contours remain unclear.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
