WASHINGTON, March 25. /TASS/. US president Donald Trump has signed a proclamation recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

The signing ceremony took place at the White House during Trump’s talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and was broadcast live by US news channels.

The Golan Heights, which belonged to Syria since 1944, were seized by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War. In 1981, the Israeli parliament passed a law unilaterally declaring sovereignty over the Golan Heights. The UN Security Council declared the annexation null and void in its Resolution 497 on December 17, 1981.

Apart from Syria and other Muslim countries, Russia and some key European Union members, including Germany and France, have also opposed Trump’s decision to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.