Jerusalem, Jan 7 (IANS): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on the White House to recognise "Israeli sovereignty" over the Golan Heights in a joint statement with US National Security Advisor John Bolton here.

The statement was a part of Bolton's trip to Israel which started on January 5.Netanyahu on Sunday said that he had raised the issue with the US President Donald Trump.

"Tomorrow (on Monday), if weather permits, we'll go up to the Golan Heights," Netanyahu said, adding that the territory is "tremendously important for our security", Xinhua news agency reported.

"I think that when you're there, you will be able to understand perfectly why we will never leave the Golan Heights," he added.

Israel occupied the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed the territory in 1981.

Bolton arrived in Israel for talks with officials that focus on the Iranian military presence in Syria in the wake of US President Donald Trump's announced plan to withdraw from the war-torn country.