It's another sign of the flourishing political relationship between Netanyahu and Trump, whose political rhetoric and actions often appear to mirror each other as they mutually lavish praise.

When visiting Washington in March for the official signing of US recognition of the Golan Heights as Israel, Netanyahu declared that Israel had never had a better friend in the White House.

During a briefing on the plane while returning to Israel, a senior Israeli official pointed out that it was an important precedent, which showed that holding on to occupied territory gained in a "defensive war" can be justified.

The Golan Heights, a lush raised plateau between Israel and Syria, was captured by Israeli forces during the 1967 war, which began after Israel launched a preemptive strike when neighbouring Arab countries mobilised forces at the borders. The area was formally annexed by Israel in 1981 in a move not recognised by the United Nations or much of the international community.

But Israel has argued that handing back the territory, used by Syria as a shelling position, would be a strategic threat. Just over half the population is constituted of Arabic-speaking Druze, who live alongside Israelis who have settled there since 1967.

The Washington Post