Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just thumbed his nose at a recent U.S. resolution calling for the end to Jewish settlements in the West Bank, instead announcing on Tuesday that Israel will instead be building another 2,500 homes, most of which will be located in the occupied territory.
From The Hill:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday approved the expansion of settlement blocs in the West Bank despite international pressure to halt construction in the occupied territories.
Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman announced the development of 2,500 new housing units, with most located within settlement blocs.
“We are building — and will continue to build,” Netanyahu said, according to Israeli media.
It was reported Monday that Netanyahu also lifted restrictions on construction in East Jerusalem, also disputed territory between Israelis and Palestinians.
Both moves come as blatant snubs to the United Nations, which passed a resolution just last month condemning Jewish settlements in these areas and calling for a halt to all Israeli construction in occupied territories. The United States abstained from the vote in a rare slam against Israel.
Then-Secretary of State John Kerry famously opined that if a two-state solution could not be reached between Israel and Palestine, then Israel “can either be Jewish or democratic – it cannot be both,” a sentiment later echoed by former President Obama.
President Donald Trump, however, has indicated a much stronger pro-Israel stance than his predecessor, including entering into discussions regarding the relocation of the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.