US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Minister Benny Gantz held a tense phone call yesterday on Israel’s advancement of plans to build a few thousand new settlement homes, according to Walla news site.
The report, which cited three unnamed Israeli officials familiar with the call, says Blinken phoned Gantz and told him the construction plans are “unacceptable,” citing both the number of housing units set to be approved and their locations in the West Bank.
The top US diplomat, who is the most senior Biden administration official to protest the Israeli plans, reportedly asked Gantz to consider the American opinion on settlements in the future.
Gantz responded that he tried to reduce the number of units as much as possible and said he understood the US sensitivities on the matter and would take them into account, according to the report.
The defense chief is said to have also highlighted plans to approve 1,300 new Palestinian homes and griped that he has taken flak for meeting with PA President Mahmoud Abbas and approved family reunifications.
“The Americans gave us a yellow card,” a senior Israeli official is quoted as saying.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
