Unic Press UK: In a remarkable departure from his initial stance, the U.S. president Donald Trump issued a warning to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu over further construction of settlements in West Bank that could cause a breach of the peace.
The new standpoint of the U.S. was conveyed through a statement issued by the White House Press Secretary and Communications Director for President Donald Trump. The brief statement issued on Thursday, reads:
“The American desire for peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians has remained unchanged for 50 years. 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. As the President has expressed many times, he hopes to achieve peace throughout the Middle East region. 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.” (Sean Spicer: 02/02/2017)
The U.S. position appears to be a direct reaction to the Israeli government approval on Tuesday for the construction of circa 3,000 new homes in West Bank.
