Donald Trump
Donald TrumpReuters

US President Donald Trump told FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on Thursday that he has been thinking about Israel's sovereignty in the Golan Heights for “a long time.”

“It’s been a very hard decision for every president. No president has done it. This is very much like Jerusalem, moving the embassy to Jerusalem,” said Trump in the interview, which will air in full on Friday.

“Everybody campaigned on Jerusalem and the embassy going to Jerusalem. They all campaigned on it and they never did it and I understand why. I also campaigned on it and when I got elected, I was inundated with calls from all over the world – mostly the leaders – saying ‘don’t do it, don’t do it’. I did it and it’s been done and it’s fine,” continued Trump.

“The Golan Heights is the same thing. For years, other presidents have campaigned, they said they’d do it. This is sovereignty, this is security, this is about regional security,” he pointed out.

Asked whether the move had anything to do with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s re-election bid, Trump replied, “I wouldn’t even know about that. I have no idea. I hear he’s doing okay. But I would imagine the other side – whoever’s against him – is also in favor of what I just did.”

“Every president said ‘do that’. I’m the one who gets it done.”

In a tweet earlier on Thursday, Trump wrote, "After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel’s Sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!"

In a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo following the announcement, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu called Trump's announcement a "Purim miracle."