[3] The U.S. recognition was seen as a political gift from American president Donald Trump, in a bid to help Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu gain a favourable standing among voters in the then-upcoming April 2019 legislative election.

[2] Prior to the U.S. recognition of the Golan Heights as Israeli territory in March 2019, the Trump administration had signed another presidential proclamation in December 2017, in which the U.S. recognized Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel.

On March 21, 2019, U.S. president Donald Trump tweeted that it was "time for the United States to fully recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

"[10][11] The proclamation was signed in the context of Trump accusing his political opponents of allegedly making "anti-Semitic" comments in prior weeks.

Russia has occupied Crimea despite the fact that it has recognized Crimea as part of Ukraine in bilateral agreements and despite its international obligations and commitments, including core OSCE principles.” Netanyahu claimed at the press conference following the announcement that "Israel won the Golan Heights in a just war of self-defence," referring to the 1967 war that began with Israeli-launched strikes which were later defended on grounds of pre-emption.

The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said that "the status of Golan has not changed,"[6][12] and the US's move resulted in condemnation, criticism or rejection from the European Union,[13][14][15] United Kingdom, Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, Poland, South Africa, Turkey, Egypt, the Arab League, Russia,[6][16][17] Ireland,[18] Saudi Arabia,[19] Oman,[20] the United Arab Emirates,[21] Bahrain,[22] Qatar,[23] Kuwait,[24] Jordan,[25] Iraq,[26] Iran,[27] Mauritania,[28] Morocco,[29] Tunisia,[30] Somalia,[31] Lebanon,[32] Japan,[33] Cuba,[34] Venezuela,[35] Indonesia,[36] Canada,[37] Pakistan,[38] Sudan,[39] Malaysia,[40] Vietnam,[41] and China.

[47] On April 23, 2019, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he will bring a resolution for government approval to name a new community in the Golan Heights after Trump.