US says Israeli settlements jeopardise peace

Confusion reigns as Trump changes his mind over West Bank settlements, calling them "not helpful" and seeks to use the immigration as a way to keep foreign workers out of US by not granting visas.

A view taken on February 3, 2017 of the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem, in the occupied West Bank. Ahmad Gharabli / AFP

NEW YORK // Donald Trump sowed more confusion over his Middle East policy as his administration warned Israel that building more settlements would not be helpful to achieving peace in the region.

The White House statement marked a change of tack for a president who campaigned as a stalwart ally of Israel and who pushed for the US embassy to be moved to Jerusalem, an inflammatory policy. The wording contrasted with earlier interventions suggesting Mr Trump was relaxed about settlement activity.

It all adds to the unpredictability surrounding Mr Trump’s White House. After restricting entry to travellers from seven Muslim countries last week, leaked drafts of new executive orders suggested the president would go further in his overhaul of immigration by limiting the number of work visas as part of an effort to protect American jobs.

In Israel, politicians did not rule out expanding existing settlements.

The White House statement said: “While we don’t believe the existence of settlements is an ­impediment to peace, the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful in achieving that goal.”

The statement followed a phone call on Thursday between Rex Tillerson, the new US secretary of state, and the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is scheduled to meet Mr Trump in Washington on February 15.

During his campaign, Mr Trump cited his reputation as a businessman and dealmaker as evidence that he would be able to bring about agreement between Israelis and Palestinians – “the ultimate deal”, he called it.

Lisa Goldman, contributing editor of the left-wing Israeli magazine +972, said Mr Trump was treating the issue like a reality show. "He hasn't given a single hint as to how he would negotiate a two-state solution, but it does sound as though he thinks he can just wade in and impose it unilaterally," she said.

“Given the manner in which he has been governing the past two weeks, would not be in the least surprising.”

About 600,000 Israelis live in settlements built in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 1967.

The settlements are considered illegal under international law and an obstacle to peace, a view disputed by Israel.

In December, Mr Trump criticised a decision by former president Barack Obama’s government not to veto a United Nations security council resolution condemning settlements, saying it would “make it much harder to negotiate peace”.

However, the new administration has cooled on the idea of relocating its embassy to Jerusalem, a move that would inflame tensions between two sides that both claim Jerusalem as their capital.

Even so, Israel views Mr Trump as a friend. Several of his advisers have ties to the settler community, including son-in-law Jared Kushner whose charitable foundation donated tens of thousands of dollars to West Bank settlements.

Mr Netanyahu’s government has given approval to 5,500 new Israeli housing units in the West Bank since Mr Trump took office, the largest expansion since US-brokered peace talks stalled in 2014.

Tzipi Hotovely, deputy foreign minister from the right wing of Mr Netanyahu’s Likud party, said construction would continue unhindered.

“It is also the opinion of the White House that settlements are not an obstacle to peace and, indeed, they have never been an obstacle to peace,” she said. “Therefore, the conclusion is that more building is not the problem.”

The Palestinians, meanwhile, voiced concern.

Senior official Hanan Ashrawi said the “unacceptable and unclear” wording of the statement implied building inside settlements was permitted.

Another Palestinian official said it “goes against 50 years of clear US policy on Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem”.

Meanwhile, opposition to Mr Trump’s executive order limiting or suspending arrivals from seven mainly Muslim countries continued.

A judge in Detroit, Michigan, became the latest to order that green card holders be allowed into the United States.

The full extent of the travel ban became clear yesterday when a lawyer for the government revealed that 100,000 visas had been revoked after Mr Trump’s executive order.

The figure was disclosed at a court in Virginia during a hearing for two Yemeni brothers who were deported.

The chaos and confusion caused by Mr Trump’s travel restrictions may be the first step in an overhaul of entry requirements as he seeks to make good on a campaign promise to protect jobs for American workers.

A draft of new proposals, obtained by several news organisations, suggested the H1-B visa – granted to 85,000 highly skilled professionals annually – is being reviewed.

Any tightening of rules would almost certainly upset tech ­companies, which use the visa to attract skilled programmers and analysts.

Blake Irving, chief executive of GoDaddy, said it was a fallacy to think that there were enough skilled American workers to fill tech jobs.

“To be clear, the entire US economy is at stake with this draft order, and tech leaders need to speak out on its dangers,” Mr Irving wrote in a LinkedIn post.

Other details from the draft proposals suggested that Mr Trump was considering tighter visa restrictions to bar individuals who may end up using social services.

* With reporting from Agence France-Presse