Trump just upended 40 years of U.S. policy toward Israel and may have shattered any hope of peace in the Middle East
Date: Nov 19 2019
- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday announced the U.S. will break from decades of policy and will no longer view Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank as “inconsistent with international law.”
- This marks a stark departure from the policies of previous administrations and a 1978 State Department legal opinion issued under the administration of former President Jimmy Carter.
- Israeli settlements are among the most heated topics in foreign affairs and this move could derail any hope of peace and a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.
- Palestinian leaders decried the announcement as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a Trump ally who is fighting for his political survival, expressed gratitude.
The Trump administration on Monday announced a major shift in U.S. policy toward Israel that could make it virtually impossible to advance peace efforts in the Middle East.
