Trump Turns on Israel: Warns Israel to Curb Settlement Construction
This is rather shocking because that’s exactly what the United Nations was condemning when everyone said Obama betrayed Israel by abstaining from the vote.
From Arutz Sheva:
U.S. President Donald Trump has warned Israel to stop its unilateral announcements of new construction in Judea and Samaria, an unnamed official in Washington told the Jerusalem Post on Thursday.
The official said Israel’s recent announcements, which he said were not coordinated with the White House, undermine Trump’s efforts to reach a peace agreement between Israel and the [PLO], and also added that Trump is committed to a negotiated “two-state solution” to the conflict.
From the New York Nazi Times:
Trump Embraces Pillars of Obama’s Foreign Policy
President Trump, after promising a radical break with the foreign policy of Barack Obama, is embracing some key pillars of the former administration’s strategy, including warning Israel to curb settlement construction, demanding that Russia withdraw from Crimea and threatening Iran with sanctions for ballistic missile tests.
In the most startling shift, the White House issued an unexpected statement appealing to the Israeli government not to expand the construction of Jewish settlements beyond their current borders in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Such expansion, it said, “may not be helpful in achieving” the goal of peace.
From Reuters:
The Trump administration said on Thursday that Israel’s building of new settlements or expansion of existing ones in occupied territories may not be helpful in achieving peace with Palestinians, adopting a more [Anti-Israel] tone than its previous pro-Israel announcements.
…
“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,” the White House said in a statement.
Let’s not rush into such conclusion. I believe Israel went too fast declaring the construction of 300 units. I hope I am right ,if not all thehope we had with Trump in power will turn to the greatest désappointement of our lifetime. Let’s cross our finger and pray for him…
How quickly is alright for Jews to build houses in their own country? Maybe we should wait until Trump is out of office to build Jewish houses?
I wrote my brother-in-law who lives in Jerusalem about Chaim Ben Pesach’s commentary about this and this is what he wrote me back:
Trump is NOT adopting the same policies as Obama. Ridiculous! A Trump spokesman announced that it is not helpful for the Israeli government to announce publicly large building in Judea and Sumeria. He wants those things to be discussed between the leaders. Trump has already invited Netanyahu to a meeting in Washington on Feb 15th. Obama always said that ANY building is to be condemned. Trump did not. He has always stated that building is NOT a problem in the settlements, But the world is going crazy with anything Israel does publicly. The Israeli leadership should build; but stop flaunting it. Just do it. The removal of the 40 families from Armona was ordered by the Israeli Supreme Court. Insane. A COMMITTEE of lawyers (unelected) was selected by a left wing Attorney General in Israel to make the determination, that this was being built on Palestinian owned land. This is a lie. This was abandoned land; not used for decades by anyone. So they ordered the residents removed from the land. Trump has nothing to do with that. The left wingers in Israel did it. What crazy person made the statement that Trump has adopted Obama’s policy based on THAT? Trump is not going to have an easy time moving the embassy either. Not so easy. If Israelis are objecting (the left always does) what do they expect from Trump? This will take time. Also Trump announced long ago that he is going to try to make a deal and make peace. But he does not condemn Israel or Netanyahu. He invited him to Washington before many heads of state. Trump is under constant attack but, he announced sanctions against Iran, and put them on “notice” about their missile launchers the Iranians are frightened, The Palestinians are frightened. Erekat, their chief negotiator complained at all after his election. Trump may not be perfect, but he is not Obama.
Sidney Abramowitz
Based on my brother-in-law’s reply I now believe that the viewpoint of JTF is very much
JTF”s viewpoint is exaggerated!
I wrote my brother-in-law who lives in Jerusalem about Chaim Ben Pesach’s commentary about this and this is what he wrote me back:
Trump is NOT adopting the same policies as Obama. Ridiculous! A Trump spokesman announced that it is not helpful for the Israeli government to announce publicly large building in Judea and Sumeria. He wants those things to be discussed between the leaders. Trump has already invited Netanyahu to a meeting in Washington on Feb 15th. Obama always said that ANY building is to be condemned. Trump did not. He has always stated that building is NOT a problem in the settlements, But the world is going crazy with anything Israel does publicly. The Israeli leadership should build; but stop flaunting it. Just do it. The removal of the 40 families from Armona was ordered by the Israeli Supreme Court. Insane. A COMMITTEE of lawyers (unelected) was selected by a left wing Attorney General in Israel to make the determination, that this was being built on Palestinian owned land. This is a lie. This was abandoned land; not used for decades by anyone. So they ordered the residents removed from the land. Trump has nothing to do with that. The left wingers in Israel did it. What crazy person made the statement that Trump has adopted Obama’s policy based on THAT? Trump is not going to have an easy time moving the embassy either. Not so easy. If Israelis are objecting (the left always does) what do they expect from Trump? This will take time. Also Trump announced long ago that he is going to try to make a deal and make peace. But he does not condemn Israel or Netanyahu. He invited him to Washington before many heads of state. Trump is under constant attack but, he announced sanctions against Iran, and put them on “notice” about their missile launchers the Iranians are frightened, The Palestinians are frightened. Erekat, their chief negotiator complained at all after his election. Trump may not be perfect, but he is not Obama.
Sidney Abramowitz
Based on my brother-in-law’s reply I now believe that the viewpoint of JTF is very much exaggerated! I believe that it is exaggerated to the point of paranoia!
— Harold Cohen
Harold, it seems that Sidney just read the Artuz Sheva article and copied whatever they said.