The Trump administration is refusing to comment on an Israeli push to retroactively authorize dozens of illegal outposts deep in the West Bank.
When asked to react by The Times of Israel, a spokesperson for the State Department says, “Since this is about Israeli legislation, they refer you to the Government of Israel.”
A White House spokesperson also declines comment.
The unauthorized Rosh Yosef outpost, near the settlement of Itamar, in the West Bank in April 2018. (Shlomo Melet)
Previous administrations have vociferously protested Israeli settlement building, but the Trump administration has rarely offered criticism.
The law, okayed by ministers on Sunday, would allow the attorney general to give a legal imprimatur to 66 outposts built on state land throughout the West Bank. The measure must still pass the Knesset.
— with Eric Cortellessa
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.
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
From the Liveblog of
Monday, December 17, 2018
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
