The Golan Heights, captured from Syria during the June 1967 War, is officially annexed by Israel in a 1981 Knesset decision known as the Golan Heights Law. A strategically significant land area to both sides, the Golan Heights serves as a buffer between Israel and Syria, an enemy of Israel since her independence. Numerous failed American attempts are made to broker a peace deal between the two parties based on the return of the Golan Heights in accordance with UNSCR 242, in early 1990s in 2000 and again in 2010. Following the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011 and the subsequent influx of enemy combatants into southwest Syria adjacent to the Heights, Israel more than ever, considers the land as necessary for her security. Syria’s prolonged instability pushes Israeli society and lawmakers to largely disregard any notion of returning the Golan Heights. All 28 European Union states unanimously reject Trump’s policy within days of the executive order. The area contains important headwaters of the Jordan River, hydrocarbons, and some 30,000 Israeli settlers. (source)