Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa turned New Jersey into the punchline of a geopolitical exchange with President Donald Trump while making a serious argument over control of the Golan Heights.
NEW YORK — New Jersey unexpectedly found itself in the middle of a dispute over Middle East territory this week when Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa revealed that he jokingly suggested President Donald Trump give the Garden State to Israel instead of recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
Or was it expected?
Al-Sharaa recounted the conversation Tuesday during an Atlantic Council discussion in New York held alongside the United Nations General Assembly. The Syrian president said the exchange occurred during an earlier White House meeting with Trump.
New Jersey has a large population of Jewish residents and is home to the third largest concentration of Orthodox Jews outside Israel and New York City.
“When he said the Golan Heights belongs to Israel, I said, ‘Why don’t you give New Jersey to the Israelis?’” al-Sharaa recalled.
“You don’t own the Golan Heights to give, but you own New Jersey,” he continued. “And I believe New Jersey is full of Dem,ocrats and they are not voting for Trump, so it will be good to give it to the Israelis.”
New Jersey Becomes the Punchline
The comment drew laughs, but al-Sharaa used the joke to make a broader point about sovereignty.
“At least this is something that you own,” he said of New Jersey before adding that Trump does not own the Golan Heights.
The joke was especially pointed because Trump has frequently criticized New Jersey’s Democratic political establishment despite maintaining deep personal and business ties to the state, including his golf club in Bedminster.
Al-Sharaa Quickly Turns Serious
After the laughter, al-Sharaa immediately shifted back to the territorial dispute.
“Regardless of this joke, the Golan Heights, it is owned by its own people,” he said.
He argued that neither the president of Syria, the president of the United States nor another political leader has the authority simply to give the territory to another country.
The dispute stretches back decades. Israel captured most of the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and later extended Israeli law and administration over the territory.
The United Nations Security Council rejected Israel’s 1981 move in Resolution 497, declaring the decision to impose Israeli law and administration over the Golan Heights “null and void and without international legal effect.”
Trump formally recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights in March 2019 during his first term, breaking with longstanding U.S. policy and the position maintained by most of the international community.
Al-Sharaa reiterated Syria’s claim to the territory during his New York appearances this week. Euronews reported that he told the United Nations General Assembly Wednesday that attempts violating Syrian sovereignty and international law would be opposed.
A Complicated Relationship With Trump
Despite challenging Trump over the Golan Heights, al-Sharaa also spoke positively about his relationship with the American president.
He credited Trump with supporting Syria and lifting sanctions, describing their relationship as “very unique.”
The comments illustrate the unusual diplomatic relationship between the two leaders as Syria attempts to rebuild its government, economy and foreign relations following years of civil war and political upheaval.
Al-Sharaa’s Atlantic Council appearance focused heavily on Syria’s reconstruction, regional diplomacy and its future relationship with the United States and neighboring countries.
But for New Jersey residents, the most memorable moment may have been hearing their state volunteered — jokingly — as an alternative piece of territory in one of the Middle East’s longest-running disputes.
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