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Twitterstorm as Netanyahu Shows Map of Israel With Golan Heights, Trump’s Notes

© AP Photo / Manuel Balce CenetaU.S. President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold up a proclamation recognizing Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights as Netanyahu exits the White House from the West Wing in Washington, U.S. March 25, 2019
U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold up a proclamation recognizing Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights as Netanyahu exits the White House from the West Wing in Washington, U.S. March 25, 2019 - Sputnik International
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The US president in March officially recognised the Golan Heights as part of Israel, despite international criticism. The Israeli prime minister, who has become an inspiration for memes among netizens with his graphic presentations, recently teased the audience with another show, presenting the US State Department’s newest map of Israel.

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.

​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.

​Others used the chance to lambast the US move.

​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.

​"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.

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