From the Liveblog of
Sunday, February 12, 2017
No unchecked settlements under Trump, Netanyahu warns
Netanyahu tells the cabinet during a stormy meeting on Sunday that anybody who thinks there will be no restrictions on West Bank settlement construction during the Trump administration is mistaken, Channel 2 reports.
The more than four-hour meeting comes just before Netanyahu heads to Washington to meet Trump.
Right-wing ministers Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked reportedly pressured Netanyahu to tell Trump that there would be no future Palestinian state, while Netanyahu warned against possible conflict with the president, saying “we need to take his personality into account,” Channel 2 reports.
The meeting ended a short while ago, and the Prime Minister’s Office says that the minister presented their positions on issues ranging from Iran, Syria and the Palestinians to Israel’s relations with the new administration.
“All the ministers agreed that there’s great importance to strengthening ties with the US on the governmental and personal level,” the PMO says in a statement.
Contrary to Channel 2’s description of the meeting as “stormy,” the PMO took care to note that the meeting was “relaxed and professional.”
The Times of Israel Community.