Israeli government set to give final approval of ‘Trump Heights’

About 20 families are scheduled to move to Trump Heights in the summer.

The Israeli government is expected to give its final approval on Sunday to begin building up Trump Heights, a future settlement named after U.S. President Donald Trump.

“The initiative to establish a new settlement in the Golan Heights, that will be called by the name of President Donald Trump, expresses an appreciation for his actions for the State of Israel in general and the Golan Heights specifically,” a government statement regarding the proposal reads as quoted by Israel’s Walla news agency.

“There is importance in progressing the decision about establishing the settlement at this moment in order to strengthen the political ties between Israel and the U.S.,” the statement added.

Sunday’s stamp of approval will allocate roughly 8 million shekels for initial development, to be added on to as the settlement begins to grow. According to the Finance Ministry, it will cost at least 28.5 million shekels to build up the community to completion.

About 20 families are scheduled to move to Trump Heights in the summer, the Israeli news site Srugim reported.

In June 2019, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled a sign indicating where the future settlement in the Golan Heights will be as a thank you for Trump’s unwavering support to Israel, such as the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

Shortly afterward a small pre-military academy was established in the area. Currently, 25 students are studying at the academy and many more are expected to follow after expansion plans are completed