Scoop: The Biden administration is discussing additional steps it can take in response to Israel's latest announcement on settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, U.S.
The Israeli Cabinet decision on Sunday to legalize nine illegal outposts and approve the planning and building of close to 10,000 housing units in existing settlements in the occupied West Bank was the single biggest settlement announcement ever made.
The single biggest settlement announcement during the Trump administration was of 6,000 new housing units.In the days leading to the announcement, Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer had numerous conversations with White House Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides, U.S. and Israeli officials say.
A U.S. official said the Biden administration made it clear that Netanyahu’s coalition agreements were not its problem.also said that Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners had pushed for a much bigger announcement.and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wanted 14,000 housing units to be approved and more than 20 outposts legalized, but Netanyahu toned it down. “Netanyahu promised that the number of outposts legalized will be in single digits," the official said.
One U.S. official said the Israelis said at the beginning this will be the only settlement announcement for a year, but then changed it to six months. A Prime Minister’s Office official disputed this account. While the official didn't dispute that Israeli officials told the U.S. any additional announcements wouldn't happen for months, the official did say that no specific time frame was given.
Secretary of State Blinken, other State Department officials and the White House didn’t use the term “condemnation,” but stressed they are “deeply troubled” and “concerned” about the Israeli decision."The tone of Secretary Blinken’s statement is measured. But I would not underestimate the concern it represents," former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, who's now working at the Atlantic Council, told Axios.
Smotrich held a press conference on Tuesday in one of the outposts that were legalized and said the Biden administration knows the Israeli government is committed to the settlements.
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