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Obama's Policy on Israeli Settlements

(Washington Post) Eugene Kontorovich - While signing into law important measures opposing boycotts of Israel, President Obama complained about their application to "Israeli-controlled territories." claiming the provisions were "contrary to longstanding bipartisan United States policy, including with regard to the treatment of settlements." The administration is wrong about the fact that the law contradicts U.S. policy toward the settlements. True, the White House across multiple administrations has opposed Israel allowing Jews to live in the West Bank, and criticized the growth of such communities. But at the same time, the U.S. has strongly insisted that the conflict be solved through bilateral negotiations, not coercion. Boycotts are not a diplomatic, but rather a coercive, tool and thus contradict long-standing U.S. policy. The writer is a professor at Northwestern University School of Law.
2016-02-26 00:00:00
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