US government’s stance on settlements abandoned by the Trump administration
Demonstrates opposition to Israeli settlement expansion and confirms restoration
On the 23rd (local time), the U.S. government restored its position for the first time in nearly 50 years that building settlements in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory is “incompatible with international law.”
U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken said the U.S. considers settlements to be a violation of Israel’s obligations, reversing a policy set by former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. President Joe Biden’s administration is changing the pro-Israel policy of former President Donald Trump’s administration.
Secretary Blinken’s comments came as he responded to questions from reporters about Israel’s announcement that it would build more than 3,000 new settlements in the West Bank in response to casualties from shootings by Palestinians.
It is unclear whether Secretary Blinken, who has not expressed his position on this issue for more than three years since taking office as Secretary of State, made this response deliberately. However, as the conflict between the United States and Israel over the Gaza War is worsening due to the announcement of settlement construction, it may have an impact on the International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s trial of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory.
U.S. officials emphasize that Secretary Blinken’s remarks are not a reversal of government policy because Pompeo’s decision has no legal effect because it has never been officially announced.
However, as Secretary Pompeo’s remarks in 2019 were widely perceived as a change in U.S. policy, much criticism was raised.
Secretary Blinken, who visited Argentina, said the United States was “disappointed” to learn that Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Stotric, had announced plans to build new settlements.
Secretary Blinken said the United States has opposed settlement expansion and made it clear that the U.S. government would adhere to the position taken during President Carter’s administration when it decided that settlements were inconsistent with international law.
At a joint press conference with Argentina’s Foreign Minister Diana Mondino, he emphasized, “It is a long-held policy of both Republican and Democratic intelligence in the United States that the construction of new settlements impedes the achievement of lasting peace.”
He also said, “Construction of settlements does not comply with international law. “Our government strongly opposes settlement expansion and has maintained the position that this makes Israel’s security more difficult rather than stronger,” he said.
The U.S. government has maintained its interpretation of the law on settlements in the 1978 “Hansell Memorandum” drafted by then-State Department legal adviser Herbert Hansell. The Hansell Memorandum of Understanding does not define settlements as “illegal,” but states that they “have no legal basis.” Former Secretary of State Pompeo destroyed it in November 2019.
Accordingly, the Biden administration’s position, which has adjusted its Middle East policy in accordance with the Hansell Memorandum of Understanding’s position, is becoming stronger as the international community’s criticism of Israel grows in relation to the Gaza War.
[워싱턴=AP/뉴시스]
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.