Trump to Recognize Israel's Sovereignty Over Golan Monday, Foreign Minister Says

U.S. President Donald Trump will sign an executive order Monday affirming Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights, Israel's acting foreign minister said Sunday.

In a tweet, Yisrael Katz wrote: "I am slated to appear today in front of thousands of AIPAC members in Washington... Tomorrow, President Trump will sign, in the presence of Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu, an order that recognizes the sovereignty of Israel over the Golan Heights. Israel-U.S. relations are tighter than ever."

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Trump declared Thursday evening that the U.S. should recognize Israeli sovereignty over the disputed region via Tweet: "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!"

Israel conquered the Golan Heights from Syria during the Six-Day War in 1967, and in 1981 passed the Golan Heights Law, annexing the territory. The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force has been supervising the area's ceasefire line since 1974. The ongoing conflict in Syria has complicated the question of to whom the territory would return if Israel were to relinquish it.

After Trump's announcement, Syria, Russia and the EU released statements condemning the decision to recognize Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights, which they consider occupied Syrian territory.