The statement by White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer put an end to the euphoria of Israel’s right-wing sector. Formerly, the right had thought that Donald Trump’s entry to the White House would release all the brakes and barriers regarding the settlements and give Netanyahu’s government a blank check to build and enlarge an unlimited number of settlements to his heart’s desire.
Spicer released his statement Feb. 2 — not as part of the White House daily briefing or as an answer to a question posed by journalists, but at the White House’s own initiative. The statement is well-written and formulated, and implies that the “settlement party” is over. “The construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful in achieving that goal [of peace],” announced Spicer in the name of the US president.
Israel was caught completely by surprise. After all, only on Jan. 24, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman jointly announced the construction of 2,500 housing units in the West Bank, and, for the first time in about eight years, the United States did not censure the move. The implication was that the Trump administration supports Israel’s settlement enterprise. In light of the success of the test balloon that Netanyahu and Liberman released, they announced the approval of plans for the construction of an additional 3,000 housing units in the West Bank on Jan. 31. The very next day, the prime minister informed the Amona residents in particular and the settlers in general that following the forceful eviction, the government would promote the establishment of a new settlement. This new settlement would house not only the 40 families who were evicted from the illegal Amona settlement, but would accept roughly 300 other families. But then came the unexpected statement of the White House press secretary.
So what led the White House, perceived as the dream come true of the Israeli right wing, to release a “warning statement” to the Netanyahu government?
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