Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offers further praise for the Trump administration’s announcement yesterday it would no longer necessarily view West Bank settlements as illegal, as he tours the Etzion settlement bloc.
“I confess I’m very moved. We’re here, in Gush Etzion, a place we were expelled from during the War of Independence, and here we are on a historic day with another tremendous achievement for the State of the Israel, that we worked quite a bit on,” Netanyahu was quoted saying in a statement from his office.
“The Trump administration fixed a historic injustice here and stood by truth and justice. I thank President Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo. This a very big day for the State of Israel and an achievement that will stand for generations,” the prime minister adds.
While praised by Israel, the American shift on settlements has been widely rejected internationally and by leading Democratic presidential nominees. Most countries consider settlements illegal under international law, a position rejected by Israel.
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From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
