View of Beitar Ilit, Israeli settlement Photo Credit Yoninah via Wikimedia Commons
President Donald Trump has told Israel that constructing new settlements “may not be helpful” to Middle East peace efforts – marking a departure from his earlier criticism of United Nations Security Council measure condemning settlements.
“While we don’t believe the existence of settlements is an impediment to peace, the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful,” White House spokesman Sean Spicer said in a statement on Thursday.
The settlements on Palestinian territories are widely viewed by the international community as illegal under international law.
Before taking office, Trump slammed the administration of former president Barack Obama for not vetoing a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements.
Trump’s first foreign call as president was to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is expected to visit the White House on February 15.
“The Trump administration has not taken an official position on settlement activity and looks forward to continuing discussions, including with Prime Minister Netanyahu when he visits with President Trump later this month,” Spicer said.
But since Trump took the oath of office on January 20, Israel has approved a slew of new settlements, in a move that some US officials said would further jeopardize the prospect of a “two-state solution.”
This week Israel announced plans for 3,000 new settler units in the occupied West Bank, the fourth such announcement in the less than two weeks.
According to reports, over half a million Israelis live in more than 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem al-Quds.
