The United States has expressed strong opposition to Israel's plans to proceed with the expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, stating that these actions undermine the prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. This marks the most robust public critique from President Joe Biden's administration regarding Israeli settlement policy to date.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a press briefing, "We are deeply concerned about the Israeli government’s plan to advance tomorrow (Wednesday) in (building) thousands of settlement units, many of which are deep in the West Bank." He added, "We strongly oppose the expansion of settlements, which is completely inconsistent with efforts to reduce tensions and ensure calm, and harms the prospects for a two-state solution."
The Israeli embassy in Washington has yet to respond to a request for comment. On Sunday, Israel published tenders to build about 1,300 new settlement homes in the occupied West Bank, and authorities are also expected to discuss proposals for an additional 3,000 homes.
Price stated that Washington continues to communicate its views on this matter directly with senior Israeli officials. Peace talks supported by the United States between Israel and the Palestinians stalled in 2014. Most countries consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be illegal, a claim that Israel disputes.
Israeli settlement activity is a point of contention between Israel and Washington, in addition to U.S. efforts to revive the international nuclear deal with Iran, Israel's arch-nemesis. Since Biden took office in January, U.S. officials have emphasized their opposition to the expansion of Jewish settlements on territory Palestinians seek for their future state.
