Israeli settlements not `helpful` to peace process, Trump`s White House says

by Dramelin 7:00 PM 0 comments

The White House statement hewed much closer to the longstanding bipartisan approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict than some of Trump`s previous comments might have suggested. "But hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced another 5,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank Thursday, White House press secretary Sean Spicer emphasized that the Middle East peace process remains "unchanged. (Photo: ABIR SULTAN, EPA)WASHINGTON ? New Israeli settlements in Palestinian-occupied territories "may not be helpful" in resolving the decades-old conflict, the White House said Thursday, signaling an abrupt change in tone in President Trump`s approach to the issue. CLOSE Skip in Skip x Embed x Share Israel plans to build more settlements on the West Bank, even though police forcibly removed some 40 families from the Amona settlement. Video provided by Newsy NewslookA woman and a child sit next to a screen showing the live broadcast of the inauguration of President Trump in a caffe in Tel Aviv, Israel, Jan. 20.