By AFPMore by this AuthorWASHINGTON,With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his side, US President Donald Trump will Monday recognise Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights -- handing another major diplomatic victory to the premier ahead of elections. Four days after an enthusiastic Mr Trump made his intentions known on Twitter, Vice President Mike Pence confirmed that the US president would on Monday formally recognise Israeli sovereignty on the Golan Heights, which the Jewish state seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War. Because a lasting peace can only be built on the foundation of truth," Mr Pence said to a standing ovation. Israel annexed the Golan Heights in 1981 in a move that had never recognised by the international community. MAJOR MOVETo cheers from AIPAC, Mr Pence described Trump as "the greatest friend of Israel ever to sit in the Oval Office".

Source: Daily Nation March 25, 2019 18:00 UTC