Israel Hits Back at Trump Over Settlement 180° Intervention

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Israel hit back at President Trump today after the White House warned that new settlement construction might threaten the chances of peace in the region, TOI reports.

An unexpected statement released by the Trump administration on Thursday said that expanding Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank might be unhelpful. “While we don’t believe the existence of settlements is an impediment to peace,” White House press secretary Sean Spicer said in the statement, “the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful in achieving that goal.”

Israel Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely responded that the statement contradicted itself. “The White House itself holds that the settlements are not an obstacle to peace and they never have been. It must be concluded therefore that expansion of construction is not the problem.”

{Matzav.com Israel News}


12 COMMENTS

  1. I don’t understand what’s going on over here. I thought Mr. Friedman was the new Frum US Ambassador to Israel. I thought Jason Greenblatt (also Frum)was Trump’s adviser in Middle East policy. So why are we hearing these confusing “statements” regarding settlement building? Aren’t the two Countries communicating with each other? Why are their surrogates throwing things at each other? It doesn’t look good in the world’s view.

  2. Israel would be wise to tread lightly here. Prime Minister Netanyahu made a mistake, IMO, when he flaunted the new construction in front of the world, based on President Trump’s strong support of Israel. As mercurial as Trump can be even toward our allies (i.e. Australia), we should be very careful not to antagonize him for no good reason.

    Additionally, Trump and the GOP won’t always be in power and we don’t want the next Democratic president to feel that Israel leans to the GOP – party neutrality is very much to Israel’s advantage. (Yes, I’m saying that while being well aware of former President Obama’s antipathy toward Israel and the Democratic party’s increasingly pro-Palestinian slant.)

  3. the EXISTING settlements might not be an obstacle to peace; unrestricted expansion, however, might be a problem. This is a bit of elementary logic that seems to have been overlooked by Ms. Hotovely.

  4. The U.S. has Geopolitical responsibilities

    If you wish for

    ‘U.S. Imposes New Sanctions on Iran in Wake of Missile Tests

    Then you will need to accept

    ‘White House warned that new settlement construction might threaten the chances of peace in the region

  5. Israel should use more discretion. The fact that they have more of a friend in the white house than before doesn’t mean they should take advantage of the friendship. It puts Trump in a difficult spot, keeping Arabs out of the US but tolerating building in eretz yisroel, which the arabs hate. Israel should do what it has to do but quietly.

  6. Tempest in a teapot. President Trump’s statement was pretty mild, and the Israelis interpreted it as such and correctly.
    They will keep building and Trump will be OK with it.

    To many pundits on the left and right trying to make a big deal about it.

  7. “America first”, means America first, not Israel first. “Make America great again”, means make America great again, not make Israel great again.
    (written Motze Shabbes European central time)

  8. IMHO It was a brilliant move. As stated above the actual rebuke is mild and contradictory, but it shows the Arabs and Pals that Trump is playing fair with them and Israel carries on building. Good one!!

  9. Smart President Trump finally got it! He finally figured out that all these marches, protests and hatred for Trump in America, campuses, and the world was all about his love for Israel. He figured out a way to placate these mamzerim by telling them what they want to hear. Just speaking.

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