Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan decided to rename the “Balcony of Israel” observatory—which overlooks the Jewish state’s central region from the western Samaria town of Peduel—after U.S. President Donald Trump, Hebrew media reported on Tuesday.
The famous lookout point, to which Dagan often takes foreign dignitaries to illustrate the strategic importance of Jerusalem’s control over Judea and Samaria, will be named “Trump Observatory,” he announced.
In a letter to the president cited by Israel Hayom, Dagan said he was “happy and excited to write to you on behalf of the residents of Samaria and the entire State of Israel because we have decided to name one of the most strategic and impressive observation points in Israel after you.”
The decision was taken in light of the U.S. President’s “extensive work” on behalf of Israel and the Jewish people, according to Dagan’s missive.
Trump’s achievements on Israel during his first term included moving the U.S. embassy to the country’s capital; recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights; and recognizing that Jerusalem’s control over Judea and Samaria is not necessarily illegal under international law.
Since returning to the White House on Jan. 20, the president has, among other moves on Israel, lifted Biden-era sanctions on Jews in Judea and Samaria, signaled support for moving Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip and sanctioned International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, who has been pursuing arrest warrants against Israeli leaders.
