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Golan Heights decision may come as forerunner of US ‘deal of the century’ — diplomat

US President Donald Trump earlier said his administration was planning to publish its own plan for the Palestinian-Israeli settlement in 2-4 months
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Sergei Savostyanov/TASS
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
© Sergei Savostyanov/TASS

MOSCOW, March 26./TASS/. The US decision to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights may come as a forerunner of the ‘Deal of the Century’ on the Middle East advanced by the US, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday.

"We are only beginning to get the reaction of the European Union that is somewhat shocked by what their NATO partners are doing with international law and directly in the region, as we have not yet started discussing the main surprise, ‘the Deal of the Century’ that Washington promises. Maybe this is a forerunner of the surprise in store for all of us," the diplomat told Rossiya-1 television.

At a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the Un General Assembly in September 2018, US President Donald Trump said the US administration was planning to make public its own comprehensive plan for the settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict within two to four months. Later, Washington said the document would be made public after the parliamentary election in Israel on April 9.

Trump’s recognition of Golan Heights

On March 25, during a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation formally recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Earlier, Russia and Syria as well as key European states, such as Germany and France, voiced their opposition to such unilateral actions.

The Golan Heights, which had belonged to Syria since 1944, was captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War. In 1981, the Israeli parliament passed a law unilaterally declaring sovereignty over the Golan Heights.