Reps. Price, Schakowsky, Yarmuth, Connolly, Lee, Welch, Lowenthal, Doggett, and Blumenauer Blast Secretary Pompeo and the Trump Administration for Israeli Settlement Policy Reversal

WASHINGTON, DC – On Monday, November 18, 2019, Representatives David Price (NC-04), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), John Yarmuth (KY-03), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Peter Welch (VT-At Large), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Lloyd Doggett (TX-35), and Earl Blumenauer (OR-3) released the following statement on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's announcement that the Trump administration would no longer consider Israeli settlements built in disputed territory to be against international law:

"Secretary Pompeo's statement today singlehandedly unravels decades of U.S. policy and ignores international law by effectively legalizing Israeli settlements in occupied territories. This announcement, when coupled with recent decisions to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem apart from any resolution of outstanding issues, to close the Palestinian office in Washington, D.C., to shut down the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, and to cut assistance to the West Bank and Gaza, illustrates that the Trump administration is dead set on destroying any sliver of hope remaining for peace and security in the Middle East. It's clear the Administration has no plan to bring Israelis and Palestinians together in good faith.

"Most importantly, this decision undermines the safety of both Israelis and Palestinians and undercuts any prospect for a two-state solution. This flagrant disregard for the U.S. role as an honest broker in this conflict further undercuts both U.S. leadership and credibility, and it must be reversed."