The United States formally recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights in 2019, departing from decades of U.S. and international policy that treated the territory as occupied Syrian land.

The decision was welcomed by Israel but criticized by many governments and international bodies, which maintained that sovereignty could not be recognized under international law.

Trump’s Remarks

Trump’s remarks framed the Golan Heights recognition as a deliberate rupture with long-standing diplomatic inertia, emphasizing speed and finality rather than negotiation. Speaking in Washington, D.C., he said the issue had lingered unresolved for “70 years,” arguing that previous administrations discussed the territory without acting, while his moved decisively in 2019.

Trump stressed that the decision was not the product of prolonged internal debate, but of a short briefing process. He recalled asking then-U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman to explain the issue “in five minutes or less,” presenting the move as grounded in concise strategic logic rather than extended diplomacy. “Nobody ever did anything, but we did it, and we did it quickly,” he said.

Trump’s Justification

Trump justified the recognition primarily on security grounds, citing the Golan Heights’ elevated terrain and its historical military value. “You need it so badly for so many other reasons. You need it for defense,” he said, pointing to the area’s role before the advent of advanced radar and surveillance systems that now shape modern battlefields.

Economic Claims After the Fact

Only after signing the proclamation, Trump said, did he learn of what he described as the territory’s economic potential. “Then I found out the value of it. Trillions of dollars,” he said, adding jokingly that he might have sought concessions had he known earlier.