But the most closely watched part of talks between the Trump administration and the Israeli government concerned settlement activity. “The United States delegation reiterated President Trump’s concerns regarding settlement activity in the context of moving towards a peace agreement,” it said. The new U.S. envoy was once Trump’s bankruptcy lawyer and is known as a major supporter of Israeli settlements and an opponent of Palestinian statehood. Israeli media reported Thursday that the Trump administration and the Netanyahu government were at odds over the scope and geographical limits of Israeli construction in the settlements. Still, the basic idea of a settlement moratorium as a sweetener for talks is the predicate for any progress Trump makes.

Source: Washington Post March 24, 2017 02:54 UTC