Israeli minister opposes Palestinian-state establishment proposal

And he sees – and he said it in an interview to the Israeli press last Friday – that if you build more settlements there’s less land to do the deal over.

The two leaders will also discuss the UN Security Council’s December resolution to condemn Israeli settlements on occupied land.

Trump, however, has been inconsistent on the matter – suggesting at times he is supportive of growth. Key constituencies, including congressional Democrats and many American Jews, oppose Trump’s policies, while at home Netanyahu is under pressure from his hard-line allies to push for policies that Trump may not support.

Mr Trump appointed a firmly pro-Israel ambassador.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will put forward “responsible policies” when he travels to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Iran on the agenda.

The two men spoke shortly after Trump’s inauguration and have committed to improving relations.

SINGH: Critics continue to argue that this law we’re talking about seems to represent a step away from an independent state for Palestinians. It has always been viewed by the global community as the only realistic way to end the conflict. The administration has now outlined its overall goal: “To navigate a policy that encourages genuine peace talks with the Palestinians while maintaining the image of ironclad USA support for the Jewish state”.

Israel should annex all the occupied land it claims sovereignty over and grant full citizenship to those falling under its extended jurisdiction, President Reuven Rivlin said, apparently implying full annexation of the West Bank. What’s more, last week Trump also appeared to soften his rhetoric on the United States embassy when he told an Israeli newspaper that a move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is “not an easy decision” and that “we will see what happens”.

They were struck by his shift, according to several top aides familiar with their thinking, as it paired neatly with Trump’s decision to reverse course on his vow to swiftly relocate America’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

After initially greeting Israel’s settlement announcements with a shrug, Trump appears to be having second thoughts.

As the Islamic State and other militants have been pushed back on the Golan Heights, where Israel and Syria share a border, Iranian troops have taken over positions that the depleted Syrian forces don’t have the manpower to cover. Asked when he would move the embassy, Trump answered, “The embassy is not an easy decision”.

But like his predecessors – both George W. Bush and Bill Clinton – he’s been dodgy about the embassy move and has taken a harder line on the settlements, saying they weren’t “a good thing for peace”.

Netanyahu addressed the issue of a disagreements between hie Likud party and Bennett’s Habayit Hayehudi party over how the meeting with Trump should be handled. He could get something from Israel, which could include an agreement for covert action: perhaps against ISIS, or maybe inside Iran. “Inconceivable that it was made”, he said.

“When the nuclear deal expires and Iran will be able to produce not one nuclear weapon but 200 nuclear weapons in a very short period of time with complete legitimacy”, he said.