A resolution recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights died before getting to the floor, The Washington Free Beacon is reporting.
The measure was killed after sources claimed top Republican leaders and some in the Trump administration opposed it, according to the Beacon. Congressional sources say administration officials had urged House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to stop the measure from coming to a vote.
However, White House officials deny having any role in opposing the resolution. Ryan’s office did not respond to requests for comments, the Beacon reported.
Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., had authored the amendment to recognize Israeli control over the disputed Golan Heights territory on Israel’s border with Syria.
"I don't know why my Golan Heights amendment was not made in order and thus denied a vote," DeSantis said. "It was a germane amendment that would have provided the House with a chance to add clarity to the broader U.S. policy vis-a-vis Syria. How could we even contemplate supporting anything other than the application of Israeli sovereignty to such a strategically significant area, especially given the plethora of malevolent forces that undermine security in the region?"
Those lawmakers in support of the resolution said the timing was right given the administration’s decision to relocate the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has been urging the U.S. to recognize Israel’s control over the Golan Heights territory.
"It is past time for the United States to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which the Israelis gained decades ago while fighting a war of survival against hostile neighbors," Cruz told the Beacon.
"The Golan Heights are a strategically critical bedrock that is necessary for Israel's security.
"On the other side are terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and the troops sent by the Iran regime, which is committed to Israel's destruction. A strong and secure Israel is indisputably in America's national security interests, and Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights is necessary to both."
And, in a Thursday tweet, DeSantis vowed to continue the fight to get U.S. recognition of Israeli control of the Golan Heights.
“With respect to U.S. recognition of Israel control over the Golan Heights, we’ve only begun to fight,” he said.
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