Trump Admits Golan Heights Move Was a Snap Decision: ‘I Went—BING!—It Was Done’
The president says he made the controversial decision to recognize Israel’s 1981 annexation of the territory after a “quick” history lesson.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
President Trump appeared to admit on Saturday that his controversial decision to recognize Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights was a spur-of-the-moment move. Trump told the audience at the Republican Jewish Coalition gathering in Las Vegas that he made the decision during a discussion with his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and the U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman. “I said, 'Fellows, do me a favor. Give me a little history, quick. Want to go fast. I got a lot of things I'm working on: China, North Korea. Give me a quickie,” Trump said. “How do you like the idea of me recognizing exactly what we're discussing?” he said, recounting the conversation. He went on to say Friedman expressed shock at the move, saying the ambassador looked “like a wonderful, beautiful baby.”
Trump granted U.S. recognition of the Golan Heights as Israeli territory when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited last month. The proclamation is a dramatic departure from decades of U.S. policy. The move was widely seen as an attempt to boost Netanyahu who is up for re-election on April 9.
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