American President Donald trump said that for Washington it is time to recognize the Golan heights of Israel. At the moment, this area remains a matter of dispute between Damascus and tel Aviv. Such a move by the US could trigger a new conflict in the region. In the Federation Council of the Russian Federation believe that trump is going to prevent a peaceful settlement in Syria.

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  • © JALAA MAREY

Donald trump stated that now is the time to recognize the sovereignty of Israel over the disputed Golan heights. The head of state wrote in his Twitter.

“After 52 years, it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan heights, which have critical and strategic importance to Israel and regional stability,” he wrote.

After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel’s Sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 21, 2019.

Moreover, Washington intends to soon announce his vision of solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. About it in interview to TV channel Al-Arabiya said US Secretary of state Mike Pompeo.

“We want for the Palestinians, their sons and grandchildren a decent life, where there is no violence, — quotes its words of RIA Novosti. — The conflict between Palestinians and Israelis will be resolved, and the United States will soon announce his vision.”

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu has thanked trump for the intention to recognize the Golan heights of Israel.

“At a time when Iran seeks to use Syria as a springboard for the destruction of Israel, President of trump boldly recognizes Israeli sovereignty over the Golan heights. Thank you, President trump,” — he wrote in Twitter.

  • Reuters
  • © Kevin Lamarque

At the moment the Golan heights — a disputed territory, claimed by both Israel and Syria. The region is demilitarized strip, which serves as the border between the two States. After a series of Arab-Israeli conflicts in the second half of the twentieth century Syria and Israel signed a ceasefire agreement and disengagement. Also, the region was placed UN peacekeepers.

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However, in 2013 after the outbreak of civil war in Syria and the offensive of the terrorists, the UN withdrew its peacekeepers from the region. Only in 2018, the SAR has established control over the province of Quneitra, on the border with Israel. Then the patrols came back and UN peacekeepers.

At the same time between the two States in the region regularly there are armed clashes. The last one occurred in January of this year.

The strategic importance of the mountainous territory of the region is high, said the head of the Center Voyenno-political researches, the CLAIM of the RAS Vladimir Batyuk.

“From the heights of the Israelis can point-blank shoot Damascus. On the other hand, if the Golan goes to a hostile Israeli government, it will be able to draw a bead on the entire North of Israel. This is a very difficult question. The problem seems to be completely deadlocked. If the United States in these conditions would take a decision — it would be tantamount to butt into a powder keg”, — he told RT.

Washington’s desire so to intervene in the situation in the region is due to the fact that the US is not satisfied with the process of peaceful settlement in Syria, said the first Deputy head of the international Committee of the Federation Council Vladimir Jabbarov.

“Only just started to calm down the situation in the middle East, begins the process of peaceful settlement in Syria, as the United States immediately trying to add fuel to the fire. Washington is not satisfied with the peace process in Syria”, — quotes its words of RIA Novosti.

That trump’s intention to recognize the Golan as Israeli territory will lead to an increase of violence in the middle East, said the Minister of foreign Affairs of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu.

“Territorial integrity is a fundamental principle of international law. US attempts to justify Israel’s actions, which contravene international law, will only lead to increased violence and human suffering in the region,” he wrote on Twitter.

“The status of the heights defined by the UN Security Council”

At the same time Russia has repeatedly emphasized that to determine the status of the Golan heights, should the UN Security Council. So, in October of last year, Russian foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that attempts to resolve the issue of ownership of disputed territory is a direct violation of security Council resolutions.

“The status of the Golan heights determined by resolutions of the UN Security Council, and to change this status to bypass the Security Council, I think it would be a direct violation of these resolutions,” he said.

However, one should expect that the United States would react indifferently to the prospect to violate resolutions of the UN security Council, the Director of the Institute of contemporary state development Dmitry Solonnikov.

“Washington is not used to that and the UN and the Security Council have a negative attitude towards the decisions unilaterally take the United States. I think that as before, the US has ignored international institutions and the UN in particular, it will be ignored now,” he told RT.

In that case that the United States will try similar initiative to push through the security Council, Russia and China will be forced to resort to the veto, said Batiuk.

“There cannot be two opinions. If the United States will try to push the decision through the UN security Council, it will be definitely blocked by Russia and China. Even if we imagine such a fantastic situation that Britain and France would agree with Washington’s decision”, — said the expert.