JERUSALEM (AP) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a slowdown of construction in territory Palestinians want for a state in a gesture to President Donald Trump at the same cabinet meeting where he approved the first new settlement in the heart of the West Bank in two decades.
Israeli media on Friday reported that Netanyahu, facing pressures pulling him in different directions, announced the new slowdown policy at a meeting the night before, where his cabinet also approved the first West Bank settlement in two decades as compensation for the Amona outpost demolished in February.
Netanyahu was pressed keep his promise to build a new settlement to replace Amona – a settlement outpost built on private Palestinian land that was dismantled following an Israeli Supreme Court ruling – especially by pro-settler hard-liners who dominate his coalition and oppose Palestinian statehood on security or religious grounds. It appeared he was also compelled, however, to demonstrate paying heed to White House concerns that settlement building could pose an obstacle to a lasting peace with the Palestinians.
Netanyahu told ministers to take Trump’s position “into consideration” and that construction will be limited to within settlement boundaries and no new outposts will be allowed.
White House envoy Jason Greenblatt has already made two visits to the region, meeting with Israelis and Palestinians and attending an Arab summit in Jordan this week. Greenblatt has been working with the Israelis on a series of understandings over settlement construction in hopes of restarting peace talks that collapsed over two years ago – in part over the thorny issue of settlements.