“At the same time, the White House clarified that President Donald Trump’s administration has not yet taken an official position on Israeli ‘settlement activity.'”
The idea that the Trump administration is even contemplating the possibility that a “settlements freeze” could help bring peace between Israel and the “Palestinians” shows that some people high up in the administration have no idea of the nature and magnitude of the jihad threat, and don’t realize that if the Palestinians’ problem isn’t the “settlements,” it will be something else: their goal is to eradicate Israel. No lasting agreement will ever be forged that will enable Israel and the Palestinians to live in peace as long as the jihad imperative remains, and the divine call to “drive them out from where they drove you out” (Qur’an 2:191).
It’s good that the administration hasn’t yet taken an official position. One may hope that wiser heads will prevail.
“White House: ‘Settlements’ may not help promote peace,” by Elad Benari, Israel National News, February 3, 2017:
The White House suggested on Thursday night that Israeli construction plans in Judea and Samaria “may not be helpful” to promote a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA).
At the same time, the White House clarified that President Donald Trump’s administration has not yet taken an official position on Israeli “settlement activity”.
“The American desire for peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians has remained unchanged for 50 years. 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,” said White House press secretary Sean Spicer in a statement.
“As the President has expressed many times, he hopes to achieve peace throughout the Middle East region. The Trump administration has not taken an official position on settlement activity and looks forward to continuing discussions, including with Prime Minister Netanyahu when he visits with President Trump later this month,” added Spicer.
The statement from the White House followed a report in the Jerusalem Post, which quoted an unnamed American official who said that Trump has warned Israel to stop its unilateral announcements of new construction in Judea and Samaria as they “undermine” his efforts to reach a peace agreement….