JD: Russia has come out against the Golan move and in fact they have said it will lead to new tensions in the Middle East. What about Russia’s statements on the Golan Heights and the decision by the Trump administration?
KT: Well the Russian’s clearly aren’t happy with the Presidential proclamation that the United States did support Israel’s sovereignty on the Golan Heights. They are also aligned with Iran today in Syria but frankly these are for the time being they are predictable they are meaningless and so far as the US and Russia are staying apart from each other on the ground inside Syria. So this is a verbal assault but it is not a military affront.
JD: But possibly with Iran it could be military action in the near future. You mentioned Iran’s President Rouhani slamming this US decision on the Golan Heights and its recognition of sovereignty. They have a real reason of doing that because they are perched maybe two and a half miles north of the Israeli border there in Quneitra. They’re ready to come in and take over the Golan Heights and use that as a launch pad to take the rest of the state, the Jewish State of Israel are they not?
KT: And I think that is in fact exactly what prompted President Trump to make this proclamation. It was to swart the Iranians at the very least to lay down a marker to the Iranians to let them know that we are fully behind Israel not just Israel as the state of Israel as it recognizes its borders but also the Golan Heights which is real as annex and been for many many years. So this was a clear US message to Iran we will not allow you to get closer to the State of Israel.
