Mohamed Minshawi-Washington
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's announcement on Israeli settlements in the West Bank has left Washington in search of the motives and timing of the resolution.
Pompeo said that after careful consideration of all aspects of the legal debate, the administration agrees that the establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank does not in itself contravene international law.
This is the end of a policy based on a 1978 legal opinion issued by the State Department that the establishment of settlements in the Palestinian territories is contrary to international law.
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David Aaron Miller, a former Israeli-Palestinian negotiator, said: "This step is consistent with the Trump administration's steps since it came to power."
In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, Trump decided to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem in December 2017 and move the embassy in May 2018 and other steps represent a drastic difference in the positions of previous U.S. administrations toward the parameters of Washington's foreign policy towards the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Miller listed two reasons why the Trump administration took the decision at this time.First, the move supports the "Evangelical religious," a very important group in the pro-Trump electoral camp amid measures in the House of Representatives to isolate the president.
In addition, the move would push Republican lawmakers to desperately defend Trump in order to satisfy their electoral bases, Miller said.
The symbols of the Christian Zionist movement, which is estimated at more than 50 million Americans and known for the unlimited and unconditional support for Israel, expressed great satisfaction with this American move, and the most important politicians currently Vice President Mike Pines.
The second reason comes in support of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, especially with the approach of Israel to hold parliamentary elections, the third this year.
The decision on settlements would bolster Netanyahu's fortunes, which stalled in previous elections and failed to form a coalition government.
The absence of an Arab response
Former US ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro said the move was "symbolic rather than legal, but it is a green light to encourage Israel to build more settlements and to officially annex the West Bank to Israel."
The absence of a strong Arab response was also an important element in the administration's calculations. The move to transfer the embassy to Jerusalem and recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan did not cause a rift in Washington and Trump's good relations with Arab capitals and leaders.
"Have we seen an immediate call from the Arab League for an emergency summit to respond to Washington's decision?"
"We have not seen an official statement coming out of the King of Saudi Arabia condemning this step and threatening his country's relations with Washington, and we have not seen Cairo and Amman recall their ambassadors from Tel Aviv," Miller said.
He pointed out that the Trump administration's announcement on Israeli settlements came from the podium of the State Department by Secretary Pompeo and not from the White House by President Trump.