Syrian social media reacted strongly to President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s remarks about the occupied Golan Heights and his conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump. The statements were made on Wednesday during a discussion session moderated by former U.S. official Brett McGurk. The event was organized by the Syria Project at the Atlantic Council in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Al-Sharaa described details of an earlier conversation with Trump at the White House. According to him, he joked when Trump said that the Golan Heights were under Israel’s sovereignty. He allegedly said: “Why not give New Jersey to the Israelis? Today you don’t have the Golan Heights to give away, but you do have New Jersey. And since it is full of Democrats who do not vote for you, it would be good to give the state to the Israelis.” The story sparked a wave of comments because it combined sarcasm with a direct political refusal.
At the same time, al-Sharaa emphasized the fundamental political meaning behind the joke: “Aside from the joke, the Golan Heights belong to their people, and therefore neither the president of Syria, nor the president of the United States, nor anyone else has the right to renounce them or cede them to others.” This approach confirms that the Golan Heights are Syrian land and that no one has the right to give away something they do not own. It also means that restoring the rights of Syrians is not a matter for bargaining or concession.
Al-Sharaa’s statements received broad support on Syrian platforms. Activists and observers described them as a “strong statement” by the Syrian president, who himself comes from the Golan and has a developed political vision. Commentators noted his diplomatic style: delivering a decisive blow to his opponent while accompanying it with a joke and a slight smile to soften the effect. Others saw it as evidence of notable diplomatic skill amid the difficult circumstances Syria is facing.
Some users offered more measured assessments, linking the foreign-policy position to domestic issues. They expressed disagreement with the government’s economic policy amid difficult living conditions, high prices, and hunger, but acknowledged that the move reflected positively on al-Sharaa because he was insisting on clear conditions before any talks about an agreement or peace. In their view, he could have used his position to act as though he owned the land and avoided the issue through silence, but instead refused to cede the Golan Heights, insisting that they belonged to the Syrian people. Some called it a “statement for the history books” and widely reposted the phrase, “Why not give them New Jersey?”
News Comments
Who is Brett McGurk, and what role did he play in U.S. policy toward Syria and the Middle East? — Brett McGurk is an American diplomat who served as the U.S. president’s special envoy to the international coalition against ISIS (2015–2018), senior director for the Middle East at the National Security Council, and, under President Biden, coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa. In Syria policy, he was a key architect of the campaign against ISIS, coordinated actions with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), sought to balance the interests of Turkey and Kurdish forces, and advocated a limited U.S. military presence. He resigned in December 2018 in protest against Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw American troops from Syria.
What is the Syria Project at the Atlantic Council, and what objectives does it pursue in discussions of the Syrian conflict? — The Syria Project at the Atlantic Council is a research and analytical initiative of the American think tank Atlantic Council—not a government body, but an influential institution in Washington. Its objectives include monitoring and analyzing the Syrian conflict, developing recommendations for U.S. and allied policymakers, documenting human-rights violations and war crimes, supporting Syrian civil society and the democratic opposition, facilitating a political settlement, countering extremism, and discussing post-conflict reconstruction. The project serves as a platform for experts, diplomats, and Syrian activists.
What significance does Ahmed al-Sharaa’s Golan Heights heritage have for his political position and his standing inside Syria? — Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, the leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, was born in Saudi Arabia, but his family comes from the Golan Heights—a Syrian territory occupied by Israel in 1967 and annexed in 1981, an annexation not recognized by the international community. This background gives him, in the eyes of some Syrians, the image of a person connected to a national tragedy and resistance to Israel, strengthening his nationalist positions and hostility toward normalization with Israel. However, his jihadist past and links to al-Qaeda have generated distrust both inside Syria and abroad. His Golan roots may be used to bolster his legitimacy among conservative and patriotic circles, but they do not dispel accusations of extremism.
Full version: "Why not give them New Jersey?".. al-Sharaa recalls his response to Trump regarding the Golan Heights