On Thursday, the White House issued a statement gently urging Israel to stop expanding its settlements in Palestinian territories, saying that "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 in achieving" President Trump's goal of "peace throughout the Middle East region." Trump "has not taken an official position on settlement activity," added the statement, attributed to White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, but Trump looks forward to discussing the issue when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the White House on Feb. 15.
The statement was a surprise, since Trump has surrounded himself with pro-settlement advisers and was strongly critical of President Barack Obama's Israeli policy, including opposition to expansion into territory globally recognized as belonging to the Palestinians. It followed a meeting Trump had on Thursday morning with King Abdullah II of Jordan, a key U.S. ally with an enormous stake in the peace process in neighboring Israel, and Netanyahu's pledge on Thursday to build the first new settlement in the occupied West Bank in many years.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
-
Moldova's pro-West president wins 2nd termSpeed Read Maia Sandu beat Alexandr Stoianoglo, despite suspicions of Russia meddling in the election
-
2024 race ends with swing state barnstormingSpeed Read Kamala Harris and Donald Trump held rallies in battlegrounds over the weekend
-
Moldova's pro-West president wins 2nd term
Speed Read Maia Sandu beat Alexandr Stoianoglo, despite suspicions of Russia meddling in the election
-
2024 race ends with swing state barnstorming
Speed Read Kamala Harris and Donald Trump held rallies in battlegrounds over the weekend
-
North Korea tests ICBM, readies troops in UkraineSpeed Read Thousands of North Korean troops are likely to join Russian action against Ukraine
-
Women take center stage in campaign finaleSpeed Read Harris and Trump are trading gender attacks in the final days before the election
-
US election: who the billionaires are backingThe Explainer More have endorsed Kamala Harris than Donald Trump, but among the 'ultra-rich' the split is more even
-
Supreme Court allows purge of Virginia voter rollsSpeed Read Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) is purging some 1,600 people from state voter rolls days before the election
-
'Empowered' Steve Bannon released from prisonSpeed Read Bannon was set free a week before Election Day and quickly returned to his right-wing podcast to promote Trump
-
Canada accuses top Modi ally of directing Sikh attacksSpeed Read Indian Home Minister Amit Shah was allegedly behind a campaign of violence and intimidation targeting Sikh separatists
