US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that Israeli settlements no longer violate international law. Israeli settlements were established by Israel in 1967 during the Middle East war, on land occupied by Israeli forces. The land has been a source of controversy both internationally and between Israel and Palestinians. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat responded to Pompeo’s statement, declaring the decision a significant risk to global stability, while Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the policy shift.
The implications of this announcement include the expansion of Jewish settlements. The policy shift undermines the notion of Palestinian national rights and their goal to transform the de jure sovereign state into a universally recognized country. Pompeo’s announcement overturns previous US policy that declared the settlements to be “illegitimate,” first established by Jimmy Carter’s administration in 1978.
Read More: US says Israeli settlements are no longer illegal
