Trump Heights
{{short description|Planned settlement in the Golan Heights}}
{{pp-30-500|small=yes}}
{{Expand Hebrew|topic=geo|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox Kibbutz
| name= Trump Heights
| hebname = {{Script/Hebrew|רמת טראמפ}}
| image = רמת טראמפ.jpg
| caption = The sign at the entrance to the settlement
| image_size = 250
| country =
| region = Golan Heights
| council = Golan
| district = north
| founded = 2019
| pushpin_map = Syria Golan#Israel Golan
| pushpin_mapsize=250 | pushpin_label_position = top
|coordinates = {{coord|33|7|57|N|35|41|26|E|display=inline,title}}
}}
Trump Heights ({{langx|he|רמת טראמפ|translit=Ramat Trump}} {{IPA|he|ʁaˈmat ˈtʁamp|}}) is a planned Israeli settlement in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights named after and in honour of Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th President of the United States.{{cite web|last=Keinon|first=Herb|date=17 June 2019|title=Trump thanks Netanyahu as sign for 'Trump Heights' goes up on Golan|url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Sign-for-Trump-Heights-goes-up-on-Golan-592725|website=The Jerusalem Post}}{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-48656431|title=Israel unveils 'Trump Heights' in Golan|work=BBC News|date=16 June 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/world/2019/6/16/18681116/benjamin-netanyahu-israel-town-golan-heights-trump-heights|title=Benjamin Netanyahu just unveiled Israel's newest town: "Trump Heights"|first=Zeeshan|last=Aleem|date=16 June 2019|website=Vox}}{{cite web|last=EDT|first=Jason Lemon|date=16 June 2019|title=Israel officially renames Golan Heights settlement after President Donald Trump|url=https://www.newsweek.com/israel-names-golan-heights-settlement-trump-1444237|website=Newsweek}} Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights are widely regarded as illegal under international law; however, the Israeli government disputes this.{{cite news
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1682640.stm
| title = The Geneva Convention
| publisher = BBC
| date=10 December 2009
It will be under the jurisdiction of Golan Regional Council.{{Cite news|last=Oster|first=Marcy|date=16 June 2019|title=Sign unveiled for Trump Heights community in the Golan Heights|work=Jewish Telegraphic Agency|url=https://www.jta.org/quick-reads/sign-unveiled-for-ramat-trump-in-the-golan|access-date=12 February 2022}} It is the first community in Israel and Israeli-occupied territories named after a sitting American president since Kfar Truman.{{Cite news|last=Hjelmgaard|first=Kim|date=16 September 2019|title=Israel settlements: Donald Trump proves he's the 'King of Israel'|work=USA Today|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/09/16/donald-trump-israel-election/2333266001/|access-date=12 February 2022}}{{Cite news|last=Liphshiz|first=Cnaan|date=8 November 2019|title=Israel's Trump Heights gets its first inhabitants|work=The Times of Israel|agency=Jewish Telegraphic Agency|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-trump-heights-gets-its-first-inhabitants/|access-date=12 February 2022}}
Location
The settlement is located near the community of Kela Alon, where the Beruchim community, which was founded in 1991, was located.{{Cite news|last=Hashmonai|first=Adi|date=24 May 2019|title=Israel prepares to break ground on new 'Trump city'|work=Israel Hayom|url=https://www.israelhayom.com/2019/05/24/the-pioneers-of-trump-heights/|access-date=12 February 2022}} The area of the settlement of Beruchim was planned for future expansion of the settlement of Kela Alon, and is inhabited by a few residents.{{Cite news|last1=Smith|first1=Saphora|last2=Factor|first2=Yael|last3=Jabari|first3=Lawahez|date=16 September 2019|title=Meet the future residents of Trump Heights, Israel's tribute to U.S. support|work=NBC News|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/meet-future-residents-trump-heights-israel-s-tribute-u-s-n1054826|access-date=12 February 2022}}
The settlement is very close to the Petroleum Road. This route separates Beruchim / Ramat Trump from East, and Kela Alon to the west of it.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}}
History
A kibbutz was established in the area in the 1980s. However, it disassembled after a few years. In 1991, an Israeli settlement called Brukhim was established on the land of the future Trump Heights. It failed to attract many residents.{{cite news|title=Trump Heights, Binyamin Netanyahu's tribute to America's president|url=https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2019/06/22/trump-heights-binyamin-netanyahus-tribute-to-americas-president|newspaper=The Economist|date=22 June 2019}} Brukhim had ten residents as of 2019.
The government of Israel convened on June 16, 2019, at the planned location in the depopulated settlement of Brukhim, very close to Kela Alon in the north-west of the Golan Heights, and declared the establishment of the new settlement as gratitude to Donald Trump for support for Israel and recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.{{Cite news|last=Eglash|first=Ruth|date=16 June 2019|title=Netanyahu inaugurates Trump Heights, Israel's newest town on the Golan Heights|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/netanyahu-inaugurates-trump-heights-israels-newest-town-on-the-golan-heights/2019/06/16/2207cd24-9041-11e9-956a-88c291ab5c38_story.html|access-date=12 February 2022}}{{Cite book|last1=Renshon|first1=Stanley A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g9T5DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA301|title=The Trump Doctrine and the Emerging International System|last2=Suedfeld|first2=Peter|year=2020|publisher=Springer Nature|isbn=978-3-030-45050-2|pages=301|language=en}}Eric Bander, [https://m.maariv.co.il/news/politics/Article-703519 "רמת טראמפ": היישוב החדש על שם נשיא ארה"ב ברמת הגולן], on Maariv website (In Hebrew), 13 June 2019
The settlement did not yet have any funding at the time of its announced establishment.{{Cite news|last1=Ravid|first1=Barak|last2=Perano|first2=Ursula|date=16 June 2019|title=Israel's Netanyahu inaugurates non-existent 'Trump Heights' town in the Golan|work=Axios|url=https://www.axios.com/israel-benjamin-netanyahu-trump-heights-golan-74682224-73a6-4847-a5a4-2ff90f702859.html|access-date=12 February 2022}}{{Cite news|last=Amichay|first=Rami|date=16 June 2019|title=Israel launches 'Trump Heights' on Golan, but construction may lag|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-usa-trump/israel-launches-trump-heights-on-golan-but-construction-may-lag-idUSKCN1TH0P0|access-date=12 February 2022}} Due to this, it was met with criticism by then-opposition leaders in Israel. Zvi Hauser called it a "dummy-resolution". In Axios, it was referred to as a "public relations stunt". Gideon Remez later referred to the settlement as a Potemkin village.{{Cite journal|last=Remez|first=Gideon|date=2021-01-02|title="But He Was Good for Israel, Wasn't He?" A Reassessment of the Jewish State's Embrace of Donald Trump|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23739770.2021.1904624|journal=Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs|publisher=World Jewish Congress; Israel Council on Foreign Relations|volume=15|issue=1|pages=21–39|doi=10.1080/23739770.2021.1904624|s2cid=235748101|issn=2373-9770}} However, the Ministry of Construction entered the preliminary planning stage at this time.
In the first stage, 110 housing units were planned,{{Cite news|last=Bybelezer|first=Charles|date=16 June 2019|title=Welcome to Trump Heights, Population: Israelis|work=The Media Line|url=https://themedialine.org/top-stories/welcome-to-trump-heights-population-israelis/|access-date=12 February 2022}} with the regional council planning as many as 400 homes in the area in the long term.{{Cite news|last1=Holmes|first1=Oliver|last2=Kierszenbaum|first2=Quique|date=17 June 2019|title='Trump Heights': Israeli settlement in Golan named after US president|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/17/minefields-and-ruins-israeli-settlement-called-trump-built-on-conquered-land|access-date=12 February 2022}} The population of the community was planned to consist of both religious and secular settlers.{{Cite news|date=14 June 2019|title=New Golan neighborhood to be named 'Trump Heights'|work=Jewish News Syndicate|url=https://www.jns.org/new-golan-neighborhood-to-be-named-trump-heights/|access-date=13 February 2022}} On August 6, 2019, the National Planning and Building Council approved the establishment of the new settlement.{{Cite news|url=https://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=1001296253|title = המועצה הארצית אישרה את הקמת "רמת טראמפ"|newspaper = Globes|date = 6 August 2019|last1 = שניידר|first1 = טל}} A pre-military mechina boarding school was inaugurated in the settlement on November 7, 2019, and it was reportedly attended by a community of teenagers by October 2020.{{Cite news|date=20 October 2020|title='Trump Heights' a Symbol of US Shift on Mideast Policy|work=Courthouse News Service|agency=Agence France-Presse|url=https://www.courthousenews.com/trump-heights-a-symbol-of-us-shift-on-mideast-policy/|access-date=13 February 2022}} {{As of|June 2020}}, construction of housing had not begun. At that time, all but two letters of the entrance sign had been removed by either vandals or rough weather.{{cite news| author = Ilan Ben Zion | newspaper = The Forward | title = One year later, is the Golan's desolate 'Trump Heights' a 'hoax'? | date = 16 June 2020 | url = https://forward.com/news/israel/448892/one-year-later-is-the-golans-desolate-trump-heights-a-hoax/}}{{Cite news|date=8 May 2020|title=Sign for Golan community named after Trump stripped of letters|work=The Times of Israel|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/sign-for-golan-community-named-after-trump-stripped-of-letters/|access-date=13 February 2022}} However, the sign was restored by January 2021.{{Cite news|last1=Lubell|first1=Maayan|last2=Ayyub|first2=Rami|date=20 January 2021|title=Analysis: What will survive of U.S.-Middle East policy under Biden?|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-legacy-mideast-analysis/analysis-what-will-survive-of-u-s-middle-east-policy-under-biden-idUSKBN29P1RB|access-date=12 February 2022}}{{Cite news|last=Frantzman|first=Seth J.|date=4 February 2021|title=The Golan during lockdown: From Trump Heights to snowy Hermon|work=The Jerusalem Post|url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/the-golan-during-lockdown-from-trump-heights-to-snowy-hermon-657705|access-date=12 February 2022}}
In June 2020, Israel's government approved 8 million Israeli new shekels (about 2.3 million in US dollars) in funding for the Trump Heights settlement.{{cite news|date=14 June 2020|title=Israel approves 'Trump Heights' settlement|work=Deutsche Welle|url=https://www.dw.com/en/israel-approves-trump-heights-settlement/a-53806102}}{{Cite news|last1=Goldman|first1=Paul|last2=van Hagen|first2=Isobel|date=14 June 2020|title=Israel approves funding for new 'Trump Heights' settlement|work=NBC News|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/israel-approves-funding-new-trump-heights-settlement-n1231033|access-date=12 February 2022}} On July 4, 2020,{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}} a major sculptural memorial was placed adjacent to the entrance to Trump Heights, honoring President Donald J. Trump. It depicts an eagle in front of a menorah.{{Cite news|last=Klinger|first=Jerry|date=17 July 2020|title=Thank you, President Trump Ani Modeh Lecha|work=The Times of Israel (The Blogs)|url=https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/thank-you-president-trump-ani-modeh-lecha/|access-date=12 February 2022}}{{Cite news|last=Sokol|first=Sam|date=13 January 2021|title=Despite his US scandals, construction continues on Israeli town named after Donald Trump|work=J. The Jewish News of Northern California|agency=Jewish Telegraphic Agency|url=https://www.jweekly.com/2021/01/13/despite-his-us-scandals-construction-continues-on-israeli-town-named-after-donald-trump/|access-date=12 February 2022}} Settlers began arriving in April 2021,{{Cite news |title=Meet Trump Heights' first family: The Biebers |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/meet-trump-heights-first-family-the-biebers-664409 |date=April 7, 2021 |access-date=2021-04-12 |work=The Jerusalem Post|language=en-US}} with as many as twenty families having been expected to arrive that summer.
Economy
The main economic sectors of the region are agriculture and tourism. The immediate area reportedly experienced an increase in tourism after the Trump Heights settlement was announced.{{Cite news|last=Krämer|first=Tania|date=16 June 2019|title=A visit to Trump town in Golan Heights|work=Deutsche Welle|publisher=YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ-fAlbDC-Q|access-date=12 February 2022}}
Geography
The planned settlement area for Trump Heights consists of about 276 dunams (about 68 acres).{{Cite news|last=Yalon|first=Yori|date=15 December 2021|title=Trump Heights passes one more hurdle on way to Golan Heights construction|work=Israel Hayom|url=https://www.israelhayom.com/2021/12/15/trump-heights-passes-one-more-hurdle-on-way-to-golan-heights-construction/|access-date=12 February 2022}}{{Cite news|last=Lis|first=Jonathan|date=14 December 2021|title=Israeli Minister Shaked: Progress on 'Trump Heights' Settlement in Golan|work=Haaretz|url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-israeli-minister-shaked-progress-on-trump-heights-settlement-in-golan-1.10465864|access-date=12 February 2022}} It is about 670 meters (~2,200 feet) above sea level.{{Cite news|last=Kadinsky|first=Sergey|date=19 June 2019|title=Ramat Trump On The Edge Of Israel|work=Queens Jewish Link|url=https://www.queensjewishlink.com/index.php/featured-stories/11-israel/674-ramat-trump-on-the-edge-of-israel|access-date=12 February 2022}} The surrounding area has been described as a "largely treeless" volcanic plateau, with tall grass and stray land mines.
The settlement is about 45 minutes from a hospital in Safed, and 30 minutes from a market in Kiryat Shmona.{{Cite news|last=Garcia|first=Catherine|date=16 June 2019|title=Israel hopes more people will move to the tiny, newly-renamed settlement Trump Heights|work=The Week|url=https://theweek.com/speedreads/847524/israel-hopes-more-people-move-tiny-newlyrenamed-settlement-trump-heights|access-date=13 February 2022}} It is about 64.4 kilometers (40 miles) southwest of Damascus, Syria,{{Cite magazine|last=Margalit|first=Ruth|date=12 January 2021|title=Trump's Legacy in Israel|magazine=The New Yorker|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/donald-trumps-legacy-in-israel|access-date=12 February 2022}} and 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the armistice line with Syria.