Israel welcomes U.S. settlement move; Palestinians outraged
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said a US policy shift deeming Israeli settlement not to be illegal "rights a historical wrong". "This policy reflects an historical truth -- that the Jewish people are not foreign colonialists in Judea and Samaria. In fact, we are called Jews because we are the people of Judea," he said in a statement, using the biblical term for the West Bank.
- World
- Agencies and A News
- Published Date: 11:27 | 18 November 2019
- Modified Date: 11:27 | 18 November 2019
Israel praised a U.S. decision on Monday to soften its position on illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move that upset the Palestinians, who denounce Washington move and insisting it contradicts international law.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the U.S. decision "rights a historical wrong," and called on other countries to take a similar stance.
His comments came after US Secretary of States Mike Pompeo said the United States no longer considers Israeli settlements to be "inconsistent with international law", in a shift in American foreign policy.
A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the U.S. decision "contradicts totally with international law."