US ambassador slams Israeli settlement growth in occupied territories as a 'stupid' move
"We cannot do stupid things that impede us for a two-state solution… What I mean is we cannot have the Israelis doing settlement growth in east Jerusalem or the West Bank," said Tom Nides.
The US ambassador to Israel Tom Nides has called the continued construction of illegal settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank "a stupid thing" that impedes reaching a two-state solution.
Nides, who was appointed to his position by the US Senate in late 2021, made the comments while speaking to Jewish-American organisation Americans for Peace Now (APN) for an online event.
The ambassador said that, while he "cannot stop everything", he has been working towards halting the advancement of the controversial E1 project since he took up the post in December.
The E1 project, which has faced long delays due to US and European diplomatic pressure, would see the settlement of Ma’aleh Edumim expand into areas of East Jerusalem and cut it off from the rest of the West Bank.
"I went full board on E1," he said in reference to the Israeli settlement plan. "It is a very important area which if [built] could cut off any possibility of a capital for the Palestinians."
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