Republican Senator Tom Cotton is leading a Senate proposal for international recognition of Israeli sovereignty on the Golan Heights, after meeting with Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid.
For the past year Lapid has been trying to lead a process of international recognition of the Golan Heights, in which he met with government officials in the United States and Europe.
"Recognizing the Golan Heights is the right way for the US to say in deeds to Assad: 'There's a price for what you did against your people.' To say in deeds to Israel: 'We support your struggle over the Golan Heights', and say in deeds to the Iranians that they have no place there," Lapid said this evening.
"Think how terrible it would be if we left this strategic place, which is as big as a middle-sized farm in Texas, to Assad. This is the world's opportunity to say in a clear voice that Israel will never withdraw from the Golan Heights," Lapid said.
Senator Tom Cotton said, "American recognition of the Golan Heights is critical to Israel's national security. The US security interest is to ensure Israel's security.
"This isn't only to ensure the security of the Galilee and the water sources, but to ensure the very existence of the State of Israel," said former Golan Heights Council head Eli Malka. "Determining the border where it is today ensures quiet in the area. The world's recognition of this, as part of the arrangement in Syria, will ensure absolute peace that can prevail throughout the region."