Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Sep 8
Trump Administration Rejects 3-Nation Ban on West Bank Settlements
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Sep 8

Trump Administration Rejects 3-Nation Ban on West Bank Settlements

3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Sep 8

Summary

  • Marco Rubio said Washington will not match sanctions announced by the U.K., France and Canada against Israeli West Bank settlements tied to violence against Palestinians.
  • The three allies moved after condemning Israel’s settlement expansion and settler attacks, including plans last month for 1,200 new homes in the E1 area east of Jerusalem.
  • The administration has not said whether it will go beyond rejection and retaliate economically; Ambassador Mike Huckabee warned possible U.S. countermeasures could have a “huge economic impact” on British businesses.
  • Trump has already rolled back Biden-era sanctions on dozens of Israeli entities, even as settlement growth and violence complicate his Gaza peace plan, Abraham Accords push and stated pathway to a Palestinian state.

Insights

Will the US launch an economic war against its own allies to protect Israeli settlements?
How will Europe's defiance of Washington reshape the future of the Middle East peace process?
Can international law survive when global powers actively dismantle coordinated sanctions against their closest allies?