Israelis flock to settle in Golan Heights community named after Trump

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israelis are signing up by the thousands to settle in a Golan Heights community named for former and President-elect Donald Trump, The New York Post reports.

Although the community now only has 50 to 100 residents, there is currently a waiting list of over 2,000.

“Trump Heights is one of the biggest tourist sites in the region,” said Yaakov Selavan, deputy head of the regional council, to The Post.

In June 2019, the Israeli cabinet under the Netanyahu government voted on a resolution to “initiate the establishment of a new residential community on the Golan Heights to be named after U.S President Donald Trump.”

The move was in recognition of the president’s efforts on behalf of Israel, including recognizing Jerusalem as the country’s capital as well as Israeli sovereignty on the Golan Heights.

Five years later, the victory of Donald Trump in the 2024 election renewed interest in the community.

Yarden Friman, Trump Heights’ de facto mayor, said, “Trump’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights is something very dear to me and to all of us,”

He added, “And I’m optimistic about the future; we haven’t had a single [air raid] alarm since the ceasefire with Hezbollah.”

However, it isn’t just the US President’s popularity that has sparked interest among would-be residents; the drive to settle the Golan Heights has become a national security imperative for Israel, particularly after the fall of the Assad regime in Syria.

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated a goal of doubling the number of residents in the Golan Heights from the current 50,000.

“Strengthening the Golan Heights is strengthening the State of Israel, and it is especially important at this time,” Netanyahu said in a statement last week.

“We will continue to hold on to it, make it flourish, and settle it.”

Yedidya Ostroff, 31, came to Trump Heights after evacuating from a community closer to the Lebanon border.

Since then, Ostroff has been fixing up homes and constructing new houses in Trump Heights.

Ostroff said, “This is a really special community, really good people, and it’s also a good mix of religious and non-religious people.”