:leonti:
Israeli settlements not 'helpful' to peace process, Trump's White House says
Gregory Korte , USA TODAYPublished 8:09 p.m. ET Feb. 2, 2017 | Updated 51 minutes ago
(Photo: ABIR SULTAN, EPA)
WASHINGTON — New Israeli settlements in Palestinian-occupied territories "may not be helpful" in resolving the decades-old conflict, the White House said Thursday, signaling an abrupt change in tone in President Trump's approach to the issue.
The White House statement hewed much closer to the longstanding bipartisan approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict than some of Trump's previous comments might have suggested. In December, Trump condemned the Obama administration's decision not to veto a U.N. Security Council resolution censuring Israel for its settlement activity, calling it "extremely unfair to all Israelis."
But hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced another 5,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank Thursday, White House press secretary Sean Spicer emphasized that the Middle East peace process remains "unchanged."
"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 that goal," Spicer's statement read. "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.”
That meeting is scheduled to take place Feb. 15 in Washington.
Trump has made support for Israel a cornerstone of his foreign policy, promising Netanyahu in a phone call last week that he had an "unprecedented commitment to Israel's security."
Trump is also weighing a decision on whether to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. That move is required by the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, but every president since has delayed it under a renewable, six-month waiver provision in the law.
Israeli settlements not 'helpful' to peace process, Trump's White House says
Israeli settlements not 'helpful' to peace process, Trump's White House says
Gregory Korte , USA TODAYPublished 8:09 p.m. ET Feb. 2, 2017 | Updated 51 minutes ago
(Photo: ABIR SULTAN, EPA)
WASHINGTON — New Israeli settlements in Palestinian-occupied territories "may not be helpful" in resolving the decades-old conflict, the White House said Thursday, signaling an abrupt change in tone in President Trump's approach to the issue.
The White House statement hewed much closer to the longstanding bipartisan approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict than some of Trump's previous comments might have suggested. In December, Trump condemned the Obama administration's decision not to veto a U.N. Security Council resolution censuring Israel for its settlement activity, calling it "extremely unfair to all Israelis."
But hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced another 5,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank Thursday, White House press secretary Sean Spicer emphasized that the Middle East peace process remains "unchanged."
"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 that goal," Spicer's statement read. "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.”
That meeting is scheduled to take place Feb. 15 in Washington.
Trump has made support for Israel a cornerstone of his foreign policy, promising Netanyahu in a phone call last week that he had an "unprecedented commitment to Israel's security."
Trump is also weighing a decision on whether to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. That move is required by the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, but every president since has delayed it under a renewable, six-month waiver provision in the law.
Israeli settlements not 'helpful' to peace process, Trump's White House says
let's see how long this good position lasts.
. Thought he had the greenlight.
