CHARLESTON: The brand new Israeli settlements within the West Financial institution are unlawful and inconsistent with worldwide legislation, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has mentioned, reversing a Trump-era coverage. Blinken, at a joint press convention with the Argentine Overseas Minister Diana Mondino in Buenos Aires, mentioned he was dissatisfied with Israel’s newest plans for settlement growth. “We have seen the reports, and I have to say we’re disappointed in the announcement. It’s been long-standing US policy under Republican and Democratic administrations alike that new settlements are counterproductive to reaching an enduring peace,” Blinken mentioned in response to a query. “They’re also inconsistent with international law. Our administration maintains a firm opposition to settlement expansion. And in our judgement, this only weakens — it doesn’t strengthen — Israel’s security,” mentioned the highest American diplomat, a day after Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich indicated that greater than 3,000 new residences can be added to settlements. The assertion comes because the Biden administration’s newest shift away from the pro-Israel insurance policies pursued by former president Donald Trump. The Trump administration reversed the US coverage to declare that settlements didn’t violate worldwide legislation. In 2019, beneath Trump, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed that “the establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not, per se, inconsistent with international law”. Blinken’s assertion was defended by the White Home in Washington DC. “(We have) seen those reports and, frankly, disappointed in the announcement. It’s been long-standing US policy under both Republican and Democratic administrations that new settlements are counterproductive to the cause of peace. Frankly, they’re also inconsistent with international law. And this administration maintains our firm opposition to settlement expansion,” John Kirby, a White Home spokesman, informed reporters. The New York Occasions reported that in November 2019, the then Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, beneath then-president Donald Trump reversed 4 a long time of US coverage by saying that settlements didn’t violate worldwide legislation. “State Department lawyers never issued a new legal determination that buttressed that policy change and Mr. Blinken’s shift back to the old policy is consistent with a long-standing legal finding of the department,” the day by day reported. “We are simply reaffirming the fundamental conclusion that these settlements are inconsistent with international law. This is a position that has been consistent over a range of Republican and Democratic administrations. If there’s an administration that is being inconsistent, it was the previous one,” Kirby informed reporters. In Buenos Aires, Blinken mentioned he had seen experiences concerning the post-war Gaza plan. “I haven’t seen the plan, so I want to reserve judgment until we see the details. Having said that, you know that there are certain basic principles that we set out many months ago that we feel are very important when it comes to Gaza’s future, including that it cannot be a platform for terrorism,” he mentioned. “There should be no Israeli reoccupation of Gaza. The size of Gaza’s territory should not be reduced. So, we want to make sure that any plan that emerges is consistent with those principles. There are other principles, but those are three of the most important ones,” Blinken mentioned. “At the same time, we have many countries in the region that are working together on a plan for post-conflict Gaza. I think that’s very important, and I’ve spent some time with some of our Arab partners, including recently on the margins of the G20, talking about just as we did when we were at the Munich Security Conference together. So, it’s important that we have, again, a necessary plan, but one also that’s consistent with basic principles that I think many countries share about what has to be Gaza’s future,” mentioned the Secretary of State. The reversal comes amidst rising US-Israeli tensions over the battle in Gaza, with the newest settlement announcement solely including to the pressure. The United Nations’ highest courtroom, the Worldwide Court docket of Justice, can also be holding hearings into the legality of the Israeli occupation.
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