“The establishment of Israeli civilian settlements is not, per se, inconsistent with international law,” Pompeo told reporters at the State Department, reversing a formal legal position taken by the United States under Carter in 1978. In 2017 Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and, in 2018, the United States formally opened an embassy in the city. US policy had previously been that the status of Jerusalem was to be decided by the parties to the conflict. Martin Indyk, a former US peace negotiator, described the decision on Twitter as “a totally gratuitous move.”“Why slap the Palestinians in the face again? Why boost the settlement or annexation movement at the very moment that Gantz is trying to form a government?” he asked.

Source: bd News24 November 18, 2019 21:00 UTC