Trump signs 'nice' on map showing Golan as Israel's part

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed off a new US State Department map of Israel autographed by President Donald Trump that marks the Golan Heights as part of Israel and that Trump had written "Nice" on it.

During a televised statement on Thursday night, Netanyahu said the map was a gift from Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, who is visiting Jerusalem as part of a swing through several countries in the region, CNN reported.

"Jared Kushner brought me the updated map that includes the Golan Heights within Israeli sovereignty -- here is the signature of President Trump and he writes here 'Nice'," the Prime Minister said.

On the map, a hand-drawn arrow in black ink points from the word "Nice" to the Golan.

Running along the side of the map in the same black ink is Trump's distinctive spiky signature.

Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed it in 1981, using it as a strategic military post.

In March, Trump recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, reversing more than 50 years of American policy and putting the US at odds with the international consensus, which regards the land as occupied Syrian territory.

The President took the step just two weeks before Israel's general election on April 9.

--IANS

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