'Why don't you give New Jersey to the Israelis?' Al-Sharaa tells Trump
Al-Sharaa said he told Trump: "Why don't you give New Jersey to the Israelis? You don't own the Golan Heights to give it to them, but you own New Jersey, and I believe New Jersey is full of Democrats, and they are not voting for Trump. So it will be good to give it to the Israelis".
Highlights:
- The joke challenged Trump's recognition of Israeli Golan sovereignty
- Al-Sharaa said neither president could give away Golan Heights
- Israel captured Golan Heights during the 1967 Six-Day War
- UN Resolution 497 considers Golan Heights occupied Syrian territory
- Al-Sharaa said previous Syria-Israel talks nearly reached agreement
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said he joked with US President Donald Trump about the Golan Heights during a meeting at the White House, telling him he should give New Jersey to Israel instead.
Speaking at an Atlantic Council panel in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, al-Sharaa recounted the exchange and said he had questioned Trump's decision to recognise Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, says the Economic Times India.
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Al-Sharaa said he told Trump: "Why don't you give New Jersey to the Israelis? You don't own the Golan Heights to give it to them, but you own New Jersey, and I believe New Jersey is full of Democrats, and they are not voting for Trump. So it will be good to give it to the Israelis".
He said the remark reflected the distinction between governing territory and owning it, saying Trump governed American territory but did not own the Golan Heights.
Al-Sharaa described his relationship with Trump as a "very unique relationship" and said Trump had supported Syria by issuing a decision to lift sanctions.
Turning to the Golan Heights, al-Sharaa adopted a more serious tone and said the territory belonged to its people and that neither an American nor a Syrian president had the right to give it away.
Israel captured the Golan Heights during the 1967 Six-Day War and applied Israeli law and administration there in 1981. Israel controls about 1,200 square kilometres (463 square miles) of the territory.
UN Security Council Resolution 497 says Israel's jurisdiction over the area has no international legal effect and classifies the Golan Heights as occupied Syrian territory. The United States recognised Israeli sovereignty over the territory during Trump's first presidency.
Al-Sharaa also said previous direct talks between Syria and Israel had reached "almost 90%" agreement before Israel withdrew or added additional conditions.
Asked about the impact of the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, al-Sharaa said he sympathised with civilian victims but argued that a single event in history should not determine broader foreign policy toward Syria.
He also referred to the toll of the conflict in Gaza, saying more than 70,000 people, including women and children, had been killed.
