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“Settlements” No More in Israel
Jeremiah 33:7 I will restore Judah and Israel from captivity and will rebuild them as in former times.
The United States has reversed policy in Israel regarding “settlements”. The term “settlements” will no longer be used by the United States in reference to the lands of the West Bank in Israel. The Jewish state has managed the West Bank since 1967.
The decision reverses President Obama’s support of UN Resolution 2334 in December 2016. The UN declared that Israeli “settlements” were illegal and resulted in a “flagrant violation” of international law and has “no legal validity.”
“After carefully studying all sides of the legal debate, this administration agrees with president Reagan, The establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not per se inconsistent with international law,” Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu weighed in on the historic decision. This decision is in conjunction with a recent Netanyahu campaign promise. If elected, the Prime Minister declared he would annex “settlements” in the West Bank for Israeli national security.
“The United States adopted an important policy that rights a historical wrong when the Trump administration clearly rejected the false claim that Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria are inherently illegal under international law. This policy reflects an historical truth, that the Jewish people are not foreign colonialists in Judea and Samaria. In fact, we are called Jews because we are the people of Judea.”
Palestinian response was opposed to the Trump Administration reversal.
“…contradicts totally with international law. (The Trump Administration) not qualified or authorized to cancel the resolutions of international law, and has no right to grant legality to any Israeli settlement,” Palestinian Presidential Spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeinah.
The European Union disagrees with the US policy reversal.
“The EU calls on Israel to end all settlement activity, in line with its obligations as an occupying power,” EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini.
See the link below for Secretary Pompeo’s comments.
Effectively, the Trump Administration is recognizing Judea and Samaria as part of the land recognized as Israel per the Bible.
Joshua 1:2-4 Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory.
Amos 9:15 I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them,” says the LORD your God.