Will Israel End Settlement Activity? West Bank Expansion Undermines Peace Efforts, US Official Tells Israel

The White House Thursday warned Israel to end settlement construction announcements because they are undermining the Middle East peace effort, the Jerusalem Post reported.

The Post said a senior administration official confirmed President Donald Trump is committed to a comprehensive two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The position continues longstanding U.S. policy.

Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians have been on hold since mid-2014 when a deadline for establishing a broad outline for an agreement expired. Since then, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has been demanding an end to settlement construction before he will agree to new talks.

"The American desire for peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians has remained unchanged for 50 years," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said in a statement released Thursday evening. "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."

Israel has announced 5,500 new settlement housing units since Trump took office Jan. 20. Settlement construction was a major bone of contention between former President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“As President Trump has made clear, he is very interested in reaching a deal that would end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and is currently exploring the best means of making progress toward that goal,” the official said.

"With that in mind, we urge all parties to refrain from taking unilateral actions that could undermine our ability to make progress, including settlement announcements. The administration needs to have the chance to fully consult with all parties on the way forward.”

The White House statement said, however, the administration “has not taken an official statement on settlement activity.”

Israel has been looking for signals from the White House ever since references to the two-state solution were removed from the Republican platform last summer. Trump’s choice for ambassador to Israel and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who is acting as a senior adviser and is expected to spearhead a Middle East settlement, are known to support settlement activity.

Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Trump at the White House Feb. 15, and the peace process is expected to be a major discussion point.