Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Sunday the country plans to double the amount of people living in the Golan Heights with a multimillion-dollar development plan earmarked for the strategic plateau.
The area, which was captured from Syria during the 1967 defensive war, was formally recognized as Israeli territory by the Trump administration and in 2019, a new town called Trump Heights was inaugurated there.
“This is our moment; this is the moment for the Golan Heights. A combination of circumstances has led us today to a dramatic government decision to channel considerable resources, around NIS one billion ($318 million), to strengthening communities on the Golan Heights,” Bennett said at a cabinet meeting.
A construction truck enters Trump Heights, a growing Israeli settlement in the Israeli Golan Heights on September 21, 2020. (EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images)
“The fact that the Trump administration recognized this, and the fact that the Biden administration has made it clear that there has been no change in this policy, are also important. After around ten years of terrible civil war in Syria, every knowledgeable person in the world understands that it is preferable to have Israeli heights that are quiet, flourishing and green as opposed to the alternative,” he added.
Nearly half of the 50,000-plus people living in the Golan Heights are Druze.
Bennett has said he aims to see 100,000 living there. Remote work opportunities resulting from the pandemic have meant that many Israelis now have the option of living wherever they like.
“The Golan Heights can be a wonderful option for whoever wants clean air, space and quality of life,” he said.
The development plan includes establishing two new settlements and the creation of thousands of jobs in the tourism, industry, clean energy and technology industries.