Netanyahu praises Trump for recognising Israel control of Golan

On a visit to Washington, the Israeli prime minister hailed President Donald Trump's decision to recognise the Golan Heights as Israeli territory.

In his speech at the White House on Monday, Mr Netanyahu compared Mr Trump to historic non-Jewish leaders who had made "proclamations" on behalf of Jews.

Cyrus the Great founded the first Persian empire in 550BC. Lord Balfour is a former British prime minister who, as foreign secretary in 1917, announced Britain's support for a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine. Former US president Harry S Truman recognised Israel's independence in 1948.

The Syrian government has condemned President Donald Trump's move to acknowledge Israeli control and said it would recover the strategically important plateau through "all available means".