Pompeo: Jewish ‘settlement’ in Judea-Samaria OK with the US — and they’re not illegal ‘per se’

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday that Israeli settlement activity in Judea and Samaria is not illegal “per se.”

This reversed a 1978 legal opinion by President Carter’s State Department that such communities are “inconsistent with international law” — a position that was modified a few years later by President Reagan, and then reaffirmed at the end of the Obama administration.

“Calling the establishment of civilian settlements inconsistent with international law has not advanced the cause of peace,” said Pompeo (pictured). “The hard truth is that there will never be a judicial resolution to the conflict, and arguments about who is right and who is wrong as a matter of international law will not bring peace.”

Pompeo said the United States will not take a position on the legality of any specific settlement, and the new policy will not extend to international flashpoints beyond Judea and Samaria. He said that the ultimate status of Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria must be decided by Israelis and Palestinians.

The announcement is consistent with the Trump administration’s support of America’s principal Middle East ally, including recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and relocating the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv; defunding U.S. assistance to the Palestinian Authority due to its support of terrorism; withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal; and recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

The move comes a week after the United States criticized the European Court of Justice for requiring that products from Judea and Samaria, eastern Jerusalem and the Golan Heights not to be labeled “made in Israel.”

The Israeli prime minster’s office said Pompeo’s announcement “reflects a historical truth” and “rights a historical wrong.”

A statement issued in the name of PA President Mahmoud Abbas said “Pompeo’s declaration is baseless, unacceptable, condemned and totally in contravention with international law.”

The U.N. Security Council said on Tuesday that it would convene on Wednesday to discuss Pompeo’s announcement.