Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Communicate like Axios
Keep teams engaged and aligned with Axios-style communications crafted with Axios HQ.
Learn more
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
Trump and Netanyahu at the White House. Photo: Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images
The U.S. refers to the Golan Heights as an area "under Israeli control," instead of "occupied territory," for the first time in a human rights report issued today by the State Department.
Why it matters: This step is both symbolic and significant. Israel occupied the Golan Heights, recognized internationally as Syrian territory, during the 1967 war. In the last year, Israel has been lobbying the Trump administration and Congress to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the area. The change in language in the report is not a recognition of Israeli sovereignty, but is a clear signal in that direction.
Context: U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman has been the key U.S. figure pushing for the change, according to U.S. officials. As I reported earlier this week, Benny Gantz, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main opponent in April's elections, thinks the Trump administration could recognize Israeli sovereignty in the Golan in order to help Netanyahu in the elections.
More details: There was another significant change in the report — it dropped the term "occupied" in reference to the West Bank.
- In last year's report, the State Department didn't use the word "occupied" in the headline but did use it six times in the body of the report (in comparison to more than 40 times during the Obama administration).
What they're saying: A senior State Department official tried to downplay the significance of the change in wording, saying it doesn't signal a change in U.S. policy over the legal status of the Golan Heights or the West Bank.
"As we stated last year, we retitled this Human Rights Report to refer to the commonly used geographic names of the area the report covers: Israel, the Golan Heights, the West Bank, and Gaza. That is in line with our practices generally. We also believe it is clearer and more useful for readers seeking information on human rights in those specific areas. The title of the report was updated to reflect current practices in the Department and to be clearer and more useful to readers and researchers."— State Department official