US President Donald Trump has said that the time has come for the United States to "fully recognize" Israel's sovereignty over the disputed Golan Heights, seized from Syria during the Six-Day War in 1967.

In a tweet on Thursday, Trump said the Golan Heights are "of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel" and to "regional security." His decision will be seen as a diplomatic coup for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel’s Sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 21, 2019

The move comes after the US State Department dropped the word "occupied" in relation to the Golan Heights in its annual human rights report for 2018, published last week. Responding on Twitter, Netanyahu thanked Trump for "boldly recognizing" Israel's sovereignty over the land.

At a time when Iran seeks to use Syria as a platform to destroy Israel, President Trump boldly recognizes Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Thank you President Trump! @realDonaldTrump — Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) March 21, 2019

Netanyahu had previously urged top US officials to make the declaration and he is expected to meet with Trump at the White House in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said that the organization “strongly supports” Syria’s sovereignty over the Occupied Golan Heights. Russia also criticized Trump’s idea, saying that it is aimed at sowing discord within the Arab world.

“Russia will never support such a recognition,” Oleg Morozov, a member of the Russian Senate’s International Affairs Committee said, as cited by the RIA news agency.

The Golan Heights were seized in 1967, but officially annexed the territory in a 1981 law. Syria, on the other hand, has sought to regain its sovereignty over the region.

The strategically important land is recognized as part of Syria by the United Nations and UN resolutions have called for Israel to withdraw from the areas, as well as other occupied territories, including Gaza and the West Bank.

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Trump has consistently backed Israel when it comes to major regional disputes and last year sparked controversy and outrage among Palestinians and others when he moved the US embassy in Israel from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem and said the US officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

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