Trump Tells Israel to Hold Off on Building New Settlements

[still_one]

Source: NY Times

WASHINGTON — President Trump, who has made support for Israel a cornerstone of his foreign policy, shifted gears on Thursday and for the first time warned the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off new settlement construction.

“While we don’t believe the existence of settlements is an impediment to peace, the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful in achieving that goal,” the White House said in a statement.

The White House noted that the president “has not taken an official position on settlement activity,” but said Mr. Trump would discuss the issue with Mr. Netanyahu when they meet Feb. 15, in effect telling him to wait until then. Emboldened by Mr. Trump’s support, Israel had announced more than 5,000 new homes in the West Bank since his Jan. 20 inauguration.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/02/world/middleeast/iran-missile-test-trump.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=a-lede-package-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

[Aristus]

1. Oh boy! The JerUSA!lem types aren't going to like this!...

[apcalc]

2. Hmmmm....I've read

Reports say he told them to quit ANNOUNCING new settlements.

[still_one]

3. There is definitely weasle words in there

[RegexReader]

4. weasel words from a weasel

who'd a thought it

[oberliner]

5. This is Bannon

And Flynn.

[still_one]

9. I think you are right obe, and it isn't because they want to be balanced

[elmac]

6. more doublespeak, no doubt

or impeachment scare?

[Afromania]

7. the wish has washed the flips flops

We need to keep the those lights shining bright and make the roaches scurry back to their hidey holes. The minute we turn them off the vermin will be all over everything.

[bucolic_frolic]

8. Unpredictable

Always keep 'em on their toes

Actually in my view always a policy of American conservatism, shows
everyone who's boss, and keeps everyone confused and mentally paralyzed

I've sat through many a session where all these tactics were going on

It's a deliberate way of keeping the populace mentally neutered and therefore
compliant and unable to act against them. Mind control.

[milestogo]

10. Yes, all countries should obey our dictator.

He's the king of the world.

[TomCADem]

12. Settlements and 'The Ultimate Deal': Trump's Surprising Statement on Israel in Context read more: ht

Nice article from an Israeli newspaper explaining how Netanyahu is full of shit, and asked Trump to cool it on being so supportive of settlements, so that Netanyahu would be painted into a corner. Netanyahu wants to fool the crazier elements of Israel's far right into believing that but-for the U.S., he would be totally for expanded settlements. With Obama that was easy, but with Trump, Netanyahu would end up starting a war.

http://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-1.769430

Dr. Michael Koplow, policy director at the Israeli Policy Forum, told Haaretz that the White House’s position was "encouraging", and that it "reveals just how far out on a limb Netanyahu has gone on his own. As with Presidents Clinton and Obama, the Trump administration’s early position on settlements now gives Netanyahu some domestic cover from political pressure on his right to do what he has wanted to do all along, which is maintain the status quo rather than move toward more settlements and eventually annexation."

Dan Shapiro, the former U.S. ambassador to Israel who served under the Obama administration, noted on his Twitter account that the White House statement "tells us that Trump's opposition to settlement activity, as a negative factor in Middle East peacemaking, is in continuity with U.S. policy for many years." He added that in his opinion, it was possible that the White House published the statement since Netanyahu "wanted pressure from Trump to help him restrain parties to his right."

[Cha]

13. big Idiot has spoken.

[Buckeyeblue]

14. Trump wants a chance to build them...

They'll be the best new settlements ever.