The United States has condemned the Israeli Knesset’s approval of approximately 3,500 new housing units in Judea and Samaria.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, “settlements continue to be a barrier to peace” and “remain incompatible with international law.”
“These settlements not only harm the Palestinian people but ultimately undermine Israel’s security and diminish the chances for a lasting settlement that brings genuine peace and security to the Israeli people,” Miller added.
Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the United States would consider all settlements in Judea and Samaria illegal, reversing the policy implemented by former President Trump.
Blinken remarked that new construction is counterproductive to achieving lasting peace and also inconsistent with international law. He stated that the administration maintains a firm opposition to the expansion of settlements and believes that this weakens, rather than strengthens, Israel’s security position.
From the Reagan era up to the Trump administration, the United States refrained from labeling Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria as illegal.
