The US Ambassador to Israel, Tom Nides, reiterated on Tuesday his anti-settlement stance and insisted that Palestinians are ultimately most interested in self-determination, the Middle East Monitor reported.
Speaking during an online event hosted by Americans for Peace Now, Nides said that the Palestinians cannot be “bought off” with plans requiring them to forgo political sovereignty.
In East Jerusalem, Palestinians continue to be evicted from their homes to make way for illegal Israeli settlements, which are in breach of international law. When will the UK Government make a stand against this injustice? pic.twitter.com/VBk4SRxtZg
— Alan Brown MP (@AlanBrownSNP) January 25, 2022
“We cannot do stupid things that impede us for a two-state solution,” he said.
“What I mean is we cannot have the Israelis doing settlement growth in east Jerusalem or the West Bank. I’m a bit of a nag on this, including the idea of settlement growth, which infuriates me when they do things that just infuriate the situation in east Jerusalem and the West Bank.”
According to the Jerusalem Post, Nides was blunt about his efforts to halt the E1 plan, pointing out that the US has long opposed E1 believing that it would harm the viability of a two-state resolution to the conflict.
New US envoy says ‘absolutely won’t’ visit settlements, to avoid inflaming tensions. Tom Nides tells Hebrew paper he’s entering job with ‘no ideology’ and Biden believes US must care for Palestinians https://t.co/M4usOyLCxQ
— John Livingood (@jmlivingood) January 19, 2022
“I went full board on E1,” he said. “It is a very important area which if [built] could cut off any possibility of a capital for the Palestinians.”
Meanwhile, Nides said that he “would be lying” if he said that it was possible to avert “every single house that is built. I cannot stop everything, just so we are clear.”
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
